LA 


UC-NRLF 


>J.MURRAY  FOSTER 


SUPERVISES  PRINCIPAL 


EXCHANGE 


A  STUDY 


The  Dansville  High  School 


BY 
J.  MURRAY  FOSTER 

Supervising  Principal 


Published  by  the  order  of  the  Board  of  Education 


F.  A.  OWEN  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  DANSVILLE,  N.  Y. 
1915 


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sjWi  itiiU 


327866 


To 

The  Board  of  Education 
Whose  Self-Sacrificing  Devotion 

to 
The  Interests  of  the  School  and  Whose  Zeal 

for 

The  Best  Educational  Advantages  for  the  Students 
Has  Been  My  Inspiration. 


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

Acknowledgement  is  due  the  members  of  the  Faculty  for 
the  generous  aid  given  in  compiling  statistics  and  for  many 
suggestions  ;  to  many  of  the  students  for  aid  in  typewriting 
the  manuscript  and  in  the  construction  of  the  graphs  and 
the  cover  design,  and  to  Miss  Barbara  A.  MacLeod,  and 
Miss  Eleanor  Casterline  for  their  careful  reading  of  the  proof. 
Gratitude  is  expressed  to  Mr.  Hiram  C.  Case  and  Mr.  Frank 
H.  Wood  of  the  Education  Department  for  their  kindness  in 
furnishing  certain  statistical  matter  and  for  valuable  sug- 
gestions as  to  the  scope  of  the  Study.  But  particularly 
does  the  writer  wish  to  express  his  warm  appreciation  of 
the  kind  advice  and  encouragement  given  by  his  former 
teacher,  Professor  George  M.  Forbes  of  the  University  ol 
Rochester. 


CONTENTS: 


Pages 

I.    PURPOSE  OF  THE  STUDY 1 

II.    DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  VILLAGE  OF  DANSVILLE 1 

1.  Character  of  the  Population 1 

2.  Sources  of  Employment 2 

3.  Amusements  of  the  People 3 

4.  The  Schools 3 

III.  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  UNION  SCHOOL  BUILDING 4 

IV.  THE   KINDERGARTEN 5 

V.    THE  GRADES 7 

1.  Equipment 7 

2.  Attendance 7 

3.  Organization   8 

4.  Promotions,  Demotions,  Eliminations  and  Failures     9 

5.  Acceleration  and  Retardation 11 

6.  Course  of  Study 12 

VI.    THE  JUNIOR  HIGH   SCHOOL 13 

1.  The  Plan 13 

2.  The  Equipment 15 

3.  The  Attendance 15 

4.  The  Course  of  Study 16 

5.  Acceleration,    Retardation  and  Elimination 18 

VII.    THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL 19 

1.  The  Course  of  Study 20 

2.  Equipment 23 

3.  Election  of  Studies 23 

4.  Home  Study 24 

5.  The  Esprit  de  Corps  of  the  Student  Body 24 

6.  Means  of  Interesting  Students  in  Their  School  Work  25 

7.  The  Attitude  of  the  School  Toward  the  Regents 

Examinations 25 

8.  Requirements  for  Graduation 27 

9.  Efficiency  of  the  School  as  Measured  by  the 

Regents  Examinations 29 

10.  Acceleration,  Retardation  and  Elimination 30 

11.  Diversions  and  Amusements 31 

12.  Student  Activities 32 

13.  The  Graduates 33 

14.  What  Graduates  Have  Done  Since  Their  Graduation.   36 

15.  Attendance 38 

16.  A  Study  of  the  Slump  in  Attendance 38 

VIII.    VOCATIONAL  GUIDANCE 46 

1.  Results  of  Comparison  of  Data 46 

2.  Methods  Used  to  Aid  the  Student 50 

IX.    THE  FACULTY 51 

1.  Their  Number,  Training  and  Method  of  Election 51 

2.  Salaries 53 


Pages 

3.  Professional  Spirit 55 

4.  The  Principal  as  Supervisor  of  the  Work  of   the 

School 55 

X.     THE  PARENTS— Methods  of  Maintaining  Their  Interest 57 

XL    MORAL  EDUCATION 59 

XII.    PHYSICAL  EDUCATION 61 

XIII.  MEDICAL  INSPECTION 62 

XIV.  ENFORCEMENT  OF  THE  COMPULSORY  EDUCATION  LAW 63 

XV.    THE  WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 66 

1.  In  a  General  Way 66 

2.  The  Night  School 66 

3.  The  Future 68 

XVI.     FINANCES 68 

1.  The  Causes  of  the  High  Tax  Rate 68 

a.  The  Cost  of  Maintaining  the  School 72 

b.  The  Size  of  the  District 73 

2.  Method  of  Accountancy 77 

3.  Bonded  Endebtedness 77 

XVII.     QUESTIONAIRE  TO  THE  NON-GRADUATES  OF  THE  HIGH 

SCHOOL 78 

1.  The  Questionaire 79 

2.  The  Replies 79 

3.  Summary  of  the  Replies 82 

4.  Remedies  Suggested 83 

5.  The  Influence  of  Parents  and  Friends 83 

6.  Conclusions 84 

XVIII.    QUESTIONAIRE  TO  THE  GRADUATES  OF  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL...  87 

1.  The  Questionaire 87 

2.  The  Value  of  Latin,  Mathematics  and  the  Sciences..  87 

3.  Observations 90 

4.  The  Value  of  the  High  School  Course 92 

5.  The  High  School  Course  as  a  Means  of  Self- 

discoyery 93 

6.  Observations 94 

7.  How  to  Better  the  School 95 

8.  Observations 96 

9.  Means  to  Raise  the  Low  Percentage  of  Students  to 

Graduate 96 

XIX.     CONCLUSIONS 98 

1.  Concerning  the  Faculty 98 

2.  Concerning  the  Library 99 

3.  Concerning  the  Mental  Defective 100 

4.  Concerning  the  Need  of  an  Agricultural 

Department 100 

5.  Concerning  the  Need  of  a  Home-making  Department..l01 

6.  Concerning  the  Curriculum 102 

7.  Concerning  the  Moral  and  the  Physical  Training  of 

the  Students 104 

8.  Concerning  Medical  Inspection 106 

9.  Concerning  the  Parents 106 

10.  Concerning  the  Wider  Use  of  the  School  Plant 107 

11.  Concerning  the  Finances  of  the  District 107 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Pages 

1.  The  Board  of  Education iii 

2.  The  Dansville  High  School   Building 

3.  The  Teachers' Rest  Room 

4.  The  Kindergarten 

5.  The  First  Grade 

6.  The  Junior  High  School  Study  Hall 

7.  The  Senior  High  School  Study  Hall... 19 

8.  The  Stereopticon  Room 23 

9.  The  Cast  of  "She  Stoops  to  Conquer" 

10.  The  Playground 61 

11.  The  Gymnasium 62 

12.  The  Night  School  Class  in  Commercial  Arithmetic 66 

13.  The  Night  School  Class  in  Typewriting 68 

LIST  OF  GRAPHS 

1.  The  Graduates 34 

2.  The  Registration  in  the  Grades  and  in  the  Entire  School... 

3.  The  Registration  in  the  Senior  High  School 40 

4.  Children  Over  5  and  Under  18  Residing  in  Dansville 41 

5.  Birth  Rate  in  the  Town  of  North  Dansville 43 

6.  Salaries  for  the  Last  Twenty  Years 54 

7.  Tardiness  for  the  Last  Three  Years 64 

8.  A  Comparison  of  the  Expenditures  for  the  Last  Four  Years.  70-71 

LIST  OF  TABLES 

1.  Enrollment  in  the  Grades  as  it  Stood  November  10,  1914...  8 

2.  Promotions,  Demotions,  Failures  and  Eliminations  in 

Grades 9 

3.  Acceleration  and  Retardation  in  the  Grades 10 

4.  Per  Cent  of  Acceleration  and  Retardation  in  the  Grades...  11 

5.  Enrollment  in  the  Junior  High  School  for  the  Last  Three 

Years 15 

6.  Acceleration  and  Retardation  in  the  Junior  High  School...  17 

7.  Per  cent  of  Acceleration  and  Retardation  in  the  J.  H.  S...  18 

8.  Comparison  of  Results  in  the  Regents  Examinations 29 

9.  The  Graduates 33 

10.  Higher  Institutions  Attended  by  the  Graduates 36 

11.  Classification  of  Institutions  Attended  by  the  Graduates...  36 

12.  Degrees  Earned  by  the  Graduates 37 

13.  Occupations  of  the  Graduates...*. 37 

14.  Birth  Rate  in  the  Town  of  North  Dansville 42 

15.  Population  of  Dansville  for  the  Last  35  Years 42 

16.  Chart  Used  in  Vocational  Guidance 48-49 

17.  Tax  Rate  for  Four  Years 49 

18.  Per  Capita  Costs  of  Instruction 72 

19.  Comparison  of  Population  and  Valuation  of  Other  Villages. ..  73 

20.  Stanardized  Comparison  of  Valuations  of  Other  Villages...  74 

21.  Valuation  of  Districts  That  Ought  to  be  Consolidated 76 

APPENDIX 109 


A  STUDY 


I.     PURPOSE. 

When  the  writer  of  this  Study  took  up  his  duties  as  prin- 
cipal of  the  Dansville  High  School,  September,  1911,  he  was 
impressed  with  the  small  registration  of  academic  students  as 
compared  with  those  of  other  high  schools  in  neighboring  vil- 
lages of  about  the  size  of  Dansville,  and  the  small  number  that 
were  graduated  each  year.  The  Board  of  Education  were  at  loss  to 
account  for  this  state  of  affairs  and  were  much  interested  to  learn 
the  causes.  Both  the  Board  of  Education  and  the  principal  were 
very  anxious  to  get  at  the  root  of  the  matter,  and,  as  the  causes 
for  the  unsatisfactory  state  of  affairs  were  revealed,  to  deal  with 
them  as  best  they  could.  This  desire  led  to  this  study.  The 
Board  of  Education  and  the  writer  are  aware  of  the  fact  that 
officers  do  not  usually  make  such  studies  of  their  own  schools, 
but  in  this  case,  both  feel  that  its  purpose  is  such  that  it  could 
be  made  without  incurring  the  expense  of  hiring  an  expert  to  do 
the  work.  Coupled  with  their  desire  to  find  out  what  is  the  mat- 
ter with  their  school  system,  is  one  to  draw  up. a  program  to  be 
followed  to  make  the  system  in  Dansville  as  nearly  model  as 
possible. 

II.     DESCRIPTION   OF   THE   VILLAGE   OF  DANSVILLE. 

/.     Character  of  the  Population. 

The  Village  of  Dansville  has  a  population  of  3,938  accord- 
ing to  the  last  United  States  Census.  Its  population  is  quite 
typical  with  the  exception  that  there  are  very  few  foreign  born 
citizens.  A  large  portion  of  the  people  have  sprung  from  Ger- 
man and  Irish  parentage.  The  village  is  peculiar  in  that  there 
are  but  very  few  poor  in  her  midst  and  there  is  no 
great  wealth.  It  is  a  very  democratic  community.  Because  of 
her  industries  there  is  plenty  of  money  in  circulation,  the  money 
coming  rather  easy  and,  hence,  going  easy.  There  is  a  marked 
public  spirit  which  has  given  the  village  fine  water  works,  an 


2  A  STUDY 

excellent  sewage  system,  good  lighting,  improved  streets,  and  fine 
churches.  Whatever  is  felt  to  be  a  necessity  is  done  and  done 
well.  In  short,  her  people  are  happy,  liberal,  good-hearted, 
peaceful,  public  spirited  and  very  fond  of  amusements. 


2.     Sources  of  Employment. 

The  people  of  Dansville  find  their  employment  for  the  most 
part  in  five  industries.  The  most  noted  of  these  is  nursery  grow- 
ing. There  are  in  Dansville  and  vicinity  124  registered  nursery- 
men who  have  approximately  18,000,000  young  trees  standing 
and  who  sold  approximately  5,000,000  trees  this  past  year.  In 
these  nurseries  is  employed  an  army  of  men  and  boys.  At  cer- 
tain times  of  the  year  the  youngest  boys  whom  the  law  will  per- 
mit to  work  can  earn  as  much  as  $1.50  per  day,  and  among  them 
are  some  who  might  put  to  shame  some  of  the  professors  of  hor- 
ticulture, in  budding  and  grafting. 

The  Power  Specialty  Company  situated  at  Cumminsville,  one 
and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  the  village,  employs  about  150  men 
among  whom  are  many  skilled  machinists,  moulders,  draftsmen 
and  engineers.  This  company  is  particularly  noted  for  its  manu- 
facture of  garbage  incinerators  and  steam  superheaters. 

The  Blum  Shoe  Company,  whose  specialty  is  the  felt  shoe 
trade,  employs  many  girls  and  women  as  well  as  men.  It  also 
affords  piece  work  that  may  be  done  by  the  women  in  their  homes. 

The  F.  A.  Owen  Publishing  Company  has  the  largest  print- 
ing establishment  outside  the  cities,  of  any  place  between  Xew 
York  City  and  Buffalo.  Here  are  employed  many  women  and 
girls  and  some  men  and  boys.  This  is  the  home  of  the  magazine 
known  as  The  Normal  Instructor-Primary  Plans.  Here  are 
printed  many  booklets  used  in  schools  and  about  10,000,000  sou- 
venir post  cards  per  year. 

The  Jackson  Health  Resort,  commonly  known  as  "the  Home 
on  the  Hillside,"  is  one  of  the  most  famous  of  American  Sana- 
toria. It  brings  to  Dansville  many  people  from  all  over  the 


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DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  VILLAGE  3 

United  States  who  desire  to  regain  their  health  through  right 
living.  Employed  here  are  many  physicians,  nurses  and  others 
necessary  to  carry  on  the  work  of  such  a  large  plant.  A  profit- 
able source  of  employment  for  boys  and  girls  is  offered  here  as 
bell  boys,  dining  room  servants,  etc.  Connected  with  this  insti- 
tution is  a  laundry  which  serves  not  only  the  Sanatorium  but  the 
village  and  vicinity  also. 

Other  manufacturing  concerns  of  the  village  which  give 
some  employment  are  the  McNairn  Paper  Mills,  the  George 
Arndt  Chair  Company,  the  Dansville  Gas  and  Electric  Company, 
the  Dansville  and  Mt.  Morris  Railroad  and  some  planing  mills 
and  produce  concerns. 

Besides  these  employments  Dansville  has  a  large  number  of 
excellent  stores  and  shops  due  to  the  fact  that  the  village  being 
so  far  from  any  city  has  become  quite  metropolitan.  All  these 
offer  employment  for  children  as  well  as  for  adults. 


j.     Amusements  of  the  People. 

It  was  stated  that  the  people  of  Dansville  are  fond  of  amuse- 
ments. The  numerous  sources  of  employment  and  the  absence 
of  cheap  foreign  labor  give  the  people  plenty  of  spending  money 
with  the  result  that  the  village  supports  two  flourishing  moving 
picture  theatres.  She  has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  best 
show  towns  in  Xew  York  State.  Dances  are  very  frequent  and 
many  social  and  fraternal  organizations  flourish  in  her  midst. 
This  love  of  amusement  has  its  effect  upon  the  school. 


4.     The  Schools. 

In  things  educational  Dansville  has  been  much  interested.  In 
1883  she  consolidated  two  school  districts  into  which  she  was 
divided  and  thus  formed  the  present  Union  Free  School  District 
Number  One  of  the  Town  of  North  Dansville.  In  1844  the  Ger- 
man Catholic  Congregation  founded  Saint  Mary's  Parochial 


4  A  STUDY 

School,  and  in  1882  the  Irish  Catholic  Congregation  founded  St. 
Patrick's  Parochial  School.  Between  these  three  schools  the 
friendliest  relations  have  existed  always.  But  the  district 
suffered  a  severe  set  back  in  its  educational  career  in  1887  when 
the  failure  of  one  of  its  banks  swallowed  up  the  funds  which 
it  had  raised  by  a  bond  issue  for  a  new  school  building. 
A  new  sale  of  bonds  made  it  possible  for  the  building  to  be 
erected,  but  the  double  payment  was  not  completed  until  1912. 
Beginning  with  this  date  a  new  era  in  education  begins  in  Dans- 
ville.  The  way  in  which  the  people  met  these  conditions  shows 
a  wholesome  community  interest  in  the  school.  But  among 
many  in  the  village  there  is  a  feeling  that  a  high  school  education 
is  a  luxury  which  ought  to  be  foregone  for  money  making.  The 
dollar  is  so  close  to  many  parents'  eyes  that  the  whole  future  of 
the  child  is  shut  out  entirely. 


III.     DESCRIPTION   OF   THE   UNION   SCHOOL   BUILDING. 

In  1911  the  school  was  still  housed  in  the  brick  building  built 
for  it  in  1887.  This  structure  was  in  a  remarkably  good  condi- 
tion for  its  age,  but  there  was  no  room  for  an  expansion  of  the 
curriculum,  and  the  heating  and  ventilating  systems  were  not 
what  they  ought  to  be.  The  first  move  to  improve  the  educa- 
tional situation  in  the  village  was  the  appropriation  by  the  people 
at  a  school  meeting,  May  8,  1912,  of  $32,000.00  to  build  an  addi- 
tion to  the  building,  renovate  the  old  where  necessary  and  to 
install  an  efficient  heating  and  ventilating  system. 

The  completed  building  is  well  lighted  and  contains  in  the 
basement  a  gymnasium  seventy  feet  long,  fifty  feet  wide  and 
twelve  feet  high,  three  rooms  well  lighted  and  suitable  for  voca- 
tional work,  a  dressing  room  off  the  gymnasium,  a  boiler  room 
and  coal  rooms.  On  the  three  floors  there  are  twenty  class  rooms, 
two  study  halls,  cloak  rooms,  seven  toilets,  four  offices  and  a 
teachers'  rest  room.  The  old  double  desks  in  the  grades  have 
been  discarded  and  now  the  class  rooms  and  the  study  halls  are 


THE  KINDERGARTEN  5 

well  equipped  with  modern  school  furniture,  arranged  perfectly 
from  the  standpoint  of  light.  Each  of  the  grade  rooms  and  the 
study  halls  have  desks  that  may  be  adjusted  to  the  child. 

The  building  is  heated  directly  by  steam  generated  in  two 
Ames  80  horse  power  boilers  located  in  the  northeast  corner  of 
the  basement.  The  ventilation  is  afforded  by  an  eight  foot  fan 
operated  by  a  15  horse  power  electric  motor  which  draws  the  air 
from  outdoors  over  steam  heated  coils  in  which  the  steam  is  regu- 
lated automatically,  and  forces  it  into  all  parts  of  the  building 
at  such  a  rate  that  the  air  is  changed  every  seven  minutes  through- 
the  building. 

The  building  is  well  cared  for  by  efficient  janitors.  It  is 
swept  completely  every  day.  The  floors  are  oiled  and  the  use  of 
a  sweeping  compound  removes  to  a  minimum  the  possibility  of 
dust. 

The  toilets  are  so  arranged  that  one  set  is  used  by  the  chil- 
dren of  the  first  six  grades  and  the  other  by  those  above  the  sixth 
grade.  This  is  considered  very  wise,  for  the  adolescents  are  seg- 
regated as  closely  as  possible  from  the  pre-adolescents.  The  kin- 
dergarten has  a  toilet  of  its  own. 


IV.     THE  KINDERGARTEN. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  first  grade  has  bad  a  registration 
of  over  fifty.  Many  of  these  little  ones  were  not  mature  enough 
to  do  in  one  year  the  work  of  the  grade  and  were,  consequently, 
compelled  to  spend  a  second  year  going  over  the  same  work.  To 
remedy  this  the  Board  of  Education  established  in  the  autumn  of 
1912  a  kindergarten  to  care  for  those  who  were  not  ready  for 
first  grade  work.  This  has  appreciably  reduced  the  registration 
of  the  first  grade  as  the  table  shows. 

Date.  Kindergarten  First  Grade 

1910-1911  ..  61 

1911-1912  ..  60 

1912-1913  49  41 

1913-1914  .  47  40 


6  A  STUDY 

None  are  admitted  to  the  first  grade  under  six  years  of  age 
unless  they  are  mentally  mature  enough  to  do  the  work.  All 
others  under  six  and  over  four  and  a  half  years  are  enrolled  in 
the  kindergarten.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1913-1914  there 
were  35  in  the  kindergarten  of  whom  28  were  passed  into  the 
first  grade.  The  other  seven  remained  in  the  kindergarten  another 
year  owing  to  their  immaturity. 

Only  a  slight  attempt  is  made  in  this  department  to  do  any 
first  grade  work.  The  service  of  this  department  may  be  seen 
from  a  study  of  the  promotions  from  the  first  grade  to  the  second. 

No.  in  grade 
at  the  close  Per  cent. 


1910-1911 

of  the  year 
49 

Promoted 
32 

Failed 
17 

Promotion 
653% 

1911-1912    .. 

47 

38 

9 

808% 

1912-1913    

37 

34 

3 

91.9% 

1913-1914    . 

36 

28 

8 

77.7% 

In  1910-1911  an  epidemic  of  measles  and  in  1913-1914  one 
of  scarlet  fever  ruined  the  attendance  thereby  causing  a  low  per 
cent  of  promotions.  In  addition  to  this  factor  for  1913-1914  the 
grade,  as  a  whole,  was  below  the  average  in  ability.  It  is  fair 
to  assume  that  without  the  kindergarten  training  this  per  cent 
would  have  been  at  least  as  small  as  that  of  1910-1911.  It  will 
also  be  noted  that  the  year  the  kindergarten  was  established,  1912- 
1913,  the  percentage  of  promotions  was  very  high.  This  may 
be  interpreted  as  due  to  the  fact  that  the  immature  had  been  seg- 
regated in  the  kindergarten  and  that  many  of  the  students  had 
had  the  advantages  of  a  private  kindergarten  which  was  con- 
ducted in  the  village  the  year  before. 

Miss  Ellen  L.  Bacon,  who  has  had  charge  of  the  first  grade 
for  the  past  five  years,  gives  the  following  testimony  as  to  its 
value. 

a.  The  children  have  a  training  in  the  use  of  their  hands  which  aids 
very  much  in  the  work  in  drawing  and  writing  and  in  the  handling  of  their 
books  and  materials. 

b.  The  children  are  better  able  to  do  their  work  in  the  first  grade 


THE  GRADES  7 

because  they  are  already  used  to  a  teacher,  to  a  school  room  and  its  disci- 
pline, and  to  the  other  children  in  school.  This  enables  the  teacher  to 
make  more  rapid  progress  than  she  could  otherwise. 

c.  There  is  a  tendency  to  do  away  in  part  with  the  tremendous  accel- 
eration of  students  in  the  grades.  (This  phase  of  the  problem  will  be 
dealt  with  later.  See  page  12.) 


V.     THE   GRADES. 

1.  Equipment. 

The  first  six  grades  are  located  with  the  kindergarten  on  the 
first  floor  of  the  building.  The  rooms  are  large,  and  well  lighted, 
heated  and  ventilated.  They  are  furnished  with  modern  furni- 
ture. The  first  and  the  second  grades  have  the  Moulthrop  desk 
chairs  which  are  excellent  for  the  work  done  in  these  grades. 
They  enable  the  teacher  to  have  the  center  of  the  room  clear 
when  needed  for  dramatization,  and  to  have  the  children  face  any 
blackboard  about  the  room.  The  chairs  are  of  three  sizes  in  each 
grade  thereby  caring  for  the  various  sized  children.  Above  these 
grades  there  are  the  single  desks,  twenty  per  cent  of  which  are 
adjustable.  Each  grade  has  a  small  library  which  the  children 
use.  These  are  supplemented  with  books  from  the  Public  Library 
to  some  extent.  It  is  felt,  however,  that  the  library  equipment 
is  not  adequate  and  that  the  distance  of  the  Public  Library  from 
the  school  is  such  that  its  service  to  the  grades  is  seriously 
impaired.  Each  grade  is  supplied  with  sets  of  supplementary 
readers.  This  equipment  has  been  increased  in  the  first  four 
grades  from  two  to  four  sets  per  grade  in  the  past  three  years. 
There  is  need  for  at  least  one  or  two  sets  more,  particularly  in 
the  lower  grades,  before  the  equipment  may  be  considered  suffi- 
cient. The  supply  of  maps  and  globes  is  ample  for  good  work. 
The  students  buy  their  own  textbooks  save  those  used  in  music. 

2.  Attendance. 

The  attendance  in  the  grades  is  about  the  same  as  it  was 


8  A  STUDY 

a  dozen  years  ago.     The  enrollment,  as  it  stood  November  10, 
1914,  is  shown  by  the  table. 

Table  No.  1. 

First   grade    43 

Second   grade    30 

Third  grade    33 

Fourth    grade    32 

Fifth  grade    37 

Sixth   grade    23 

This  attendance  is  small,  due  to  the  fact  that  the  parochial 
schools  care  for  nearly  the  same  number  of  children  as  the  union 
school.  (225  in  parochial  schools,  316  in  the  first  eight  years 
in  the  union  school.) 


J.     Organization. 

Each  grade  is  organized  as  one  class,  in  other  words,  there 
is  no  subdivision  of  a  grade.  In  the  first  grade  the  brighter  stu- 
dents are  dismissed  as  soon  as  they  have  completed  the  work  for 
the  morning,  and  the  older  ones  are  detained  until  they  have  mas- 
tered as  much  as  they  are  able.  This  method  does  not  detain 
any  child  later  than  11 :15.  In  this  manner  individual  work  with 
those  who  need  it  is  realized.  The  other  five  grades  have  regu- 
lar recitation  and  regular  study  periods.  During  the  latter  the 
teacher  is  engaged  in  aiding  those  who  need  her  services.  This 
is  an  attempt  to  apply  the  Batavia  system  as  far  as  it  is  possible 
for  us  to  do,  and  was  wisely  worked  out  by  a  former  principal, 
Edward  J.  Bonner.  The  children  are  promoted  once  a  year.  This 
promotion  depends  upon  the  work  accomplished  by  the  child  and 
his  capacity  to  do  the  work.  In  the  fourth,  fifth  and  sixth  grades, 
monthly  examinations  are  given,  and  the  results  of  these  count 
equally  with  the  daily  work  done  by  the  student. 


THE  GRADES  9 

4.     Promotions,  Demotions,  Failures,  Eliminations.* 
The  number  of  promotions,  demotions,  failures  and  elimina- 
tions are  shown  by 

Table  No.  2. 

First    Second    Third    Fourth      Fifth  Sixth 

Promotions    28           27           26           31           22  30 

Demotions    0             1             0             0             0  0 

Failures    8          '  0             4             4             3  2 

Eliminations    0             4             6             1             7  5 

Reasons  assigned  for  failures. 

Sickness  2,  Deficiency  2,  Slow  minds  7,  Lack  of  application 
1,  Change  of  school  1. 

Reasons  assigned  for  elimination. 

Illness  1,  Moved  from  village  21,  Death  1,  Entered  parochial 
school  2,  Work  certificates  3. 

Reasons  for  demotions. 
Slow  mind  1. 

The  greatest  problem  that  confronts  our  school  is  the  slow 
pupil.  There  are  hardly  enough  to  warrant  the  formation  of  a 
special  class  with  a  special  teacher,  hence  there  is  an  elimination 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  teachers  cannot  give  these  pupils  all  the 
attention  they  need.  They  go  out  into  the  world  not  fitted  ade- 
quately to  meet  its  common  problems.  Just  how  to  solve  this 
problem  is  unsettled.  There  is  also  need  of  a  teacher  trained 
to  give  the  Binet  and  other  tests  for  defectives.  There  are  cer- 
tain pupils  who  are  either  slow  or  defective.  As  one  teacher  puts 
it,  she  wishes  she  were  sure  whether  certain  children  are  de- 
fective or  not,  for  she  would  like  to  know  whether  her  efforts 
are  really  worth  while  on  their  behalf,  or  whether  she  is  working 
against  fate.  It  would  be  worth  much  to  the  district  to  have  a 
teacher  of  broad  experience  learn  to  give  these  tests  and  apply 

*  To  advance  from  a  lower  grade  to  a  higher  is  a  promotion;  to  be 
put  back  a  grade  or  more  is  a  demotion ;  to  drop  out  of  school  is  an 
elimination;  and  to  fail  to  be  promoted  after  a  years  work  is  a  failure. 


TflBLE  3.  Distribution  of  Children  in  Grades  IP  if 


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NOTE  :  Directions  for  reading  graphs  are  found  on  page  109. 


THE  JUNIOR  HfGH  SCHOOL  11 

them  to  those  children  who  cannot  do  their  work  as  it  should 

be  done.    Perhaps  this  would  give  results  that  would  surprise  all 
concerned. 

5.     Acceleration  and  Retardation. 

The  retardation  and  acceleration*  in  the  first  six  grades  are 
shown  by  the  table  opposite. 

I;rom  this  the  following  per  cents  are  obtained. 

Table  No.  4. 

1913-1914  1914-1915 

Boys.                                                          September  September 

Accelerated,   two   years    14.4%  6.6% 

Accelerated,   one  year    44.2%  47.1% 

Normal     25.9%  28.3% 

Retarded,  one  year    11.5%  11.3% 

Retarded,  two  years    3.8%  5.6% 

Retarded,   four  years    .9% 

Girls. 

Accelerated,  three   years    1.2% 

Accelerated,   two   years    21.5%  16.4% 

Accelerated,   one  year 38.7%  45.8% 

Normal     22.5%  20    % 

Retarded,  one  year    6.4%  9.4% 

Retarded,  two  years   6.4%  2.3% 

Retarded,  three  years   4.3%  3.5% 

Retarded,   four  years    *...  1.2% 

1913-1914  1914-1915 

Boys.  Summary 

Acceleration     58.6%  53.8% 

Normal    25.9%  28.3% 

Retardation    15.3%  17.9% 

Girls. 

Acceleration    60.2%  63.5% 

Normal    22.5%  20   % 

Retardation    17.2%  16.4% 

*It  is  assumed  by  certain  authorities  that  the  normal  age  for  a  child 

in  the  first  grade  is  seven  years,  and  each  grade  following  in  order  a  year 

later  than  the  preceding.    All  children  older  than  the  normal  age  are  said 
to  be  retarded,  and  all  younger  are  said  to  be  accelerated. 


12  A  STUDY 

Observation. 

One  third  of  the  retardation  is  caused  by  students  coming 
from  other  schools,  particularly  from  rural  schools. 

The  retardation  of  the  boys  and  the  girls  is  about  the  same. 

The  acceleration  of  the  girls  is  greater  than  that  of  the  boys 
and  bears  out  the  fact  that  the  girls  in  the  grades  are  brighter  and 
make  greater  advance  than  the  boys. 

The  acceleration  greater  than  one  year  has  been  cut  down 
by  the  establishment  of  the  kindergarten. 


6.     The  Course  of  Study. 

The  course  of  study  used  in  the  grades  is  based  on  that 
formulated  by  the  Education  Department  at  Albany.  This  was 
modified  and  adjusted  by  the  faculty  in  1912  to  the  needs  of  the 
school,  which  has  resulted  in  closer  co-ordination  of  the  grades. 
The  examinations  made  out  for  the  grades  by  the  State  Depart- 
ment are  not  used  in  this  school  because  the  faculty  feels  it  an 
injustice  to  the  students  to  be  submitted  to  an  examination  made 
out  by  people  hundreds  of  miles  away  and  not  acquainted  with 
them.  It  is  bad  enough  for  those  in  the  high  school  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  such  tests,  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  Education  Depart- 
ment will  see  the  error  of  its  ways  in  permitting  any  such  exam- 
inations to  be  printed  for  use  in  the  grades. 

The  students  below  the  fifth  grade  are  not  supposed  to  do 
any  home  work.  Beginning  with  the  fifth  grade,  a  definite  sched- 
ule of  home  work  is  arranged,  thirty  minutes  for  the  fifth  grade 
and  forty-five  for  the  sixth.  The  home  work  for  these  grades 
consists  of  the  preparation  of  the  geography  lesson. 


THE  JUNIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  13 

VI.     THE  JUNIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

i.     The  Plan. 

Up  to  the  autumn  of  1912  the  seventh  and  the  eighth  grades 
were  seated  in  separate  rooms  and  were  organized  on  the  same 
plan  as  the  preceding  six  grades.  This  organization  was  not  all 
that  was  desired  so  these  grades  were  thrown  together  in  a 
large  study  hall  formed  from  the  two  grade  rooms  and  became 
known  as  the  junior  high  school.  The  work  is  now  conducted 
on  the  departmental  plan  in  charge  of  the  two  teachers  who  had 
had  charge  of  the  separate  grades.  The  recitations  are  heard 
in  the  rooms  used  by  the  high  school  students.  The  reasons  for 
this  change  are  five. 

1.  Much  trouble  had  been  experienced   in  the  transition 
between  the  high  school  and  the  grades,  partly  because  of  the 
change  of  organization.    The  departmental  plan  for  the  seventh 
and  eighth  grades  aids  materially  in  bridging  this  gap.     Our 
experience  with  the  department  testifies  in  its  favor. 

2.  Many  of  the  retarded  students  in  the  seventh  grade  had 
felt  an  embarrassment  because  of  their  age  and  size.     When 
seated  in  a  study  hall  with  the  eighth  grade  this  embarrassment 
is  relieved  to  a  degree  by  their  associations,  for  a  part  of  the  time, 
at  least,  with  those  who  are  nearer  their  age.    This  has  reduced 
the  elimination  from  this  grade  to  a  considerable  extent. 

3.  Students  may  be  promoted  by  subjects  instead  of  by 
grades  thereby  saving  them  much  time.    A  boy  good  in  arithme- 
tic but  poor  in  his  other  subjects,  may  advance  in  that  subject 
while  he  reviews  the  others.    This  was  impossible  under  the  old 
organization.     In  other  words,  a  child  may  advance  as  rapidly  in 
every  subject  as  his  ability  and  effort  will  permit. 

4.  It  will  enable  the  instruction  in  these  vital  years  to  be 
given  by  teachers  specially  fitted  for  the  subjects  they  teach. 

5.  The  way  may  be  paved  to  make  the  seventh  and  the 
eighth  years  a  time  for  vocational  guidance.     [Vocational  guid- 
ance may  be  defined  as  an  attempt  to  provide  means  for  enabling 


14  A  STUDY 

students  to  learn  for  what  occupation  or  profession  they  are  best 
fitted.] 

The  two  years'  trial  of  this  departure  has  shown  these  rea- 
sons for  the  change,  with  the  exception  of  the  last,  good  ones, 
and  that  the  move  was  a  wise  one.  Another  year  the  names, 
seventh  and  eighth  grades  are  to  be  stricken  from  the  subjects 
taught  in  this  department,  thereby  completing  the  abolition 
of  these  grades.  As  yet  we  have  been  unable  to  test  the  fifth 
reason  because  of  the  lack  of  facilities.  When  the  agricultural 
and  the  home-making  departments  are  added,  it  will  be  possible 
to  give  some  of  this  work  as  well  as  some  commercial  work  in 
these  grades.  In  the  past  year  about  ten  weeks'  work  in  algebra 
has  been  given.  This  year  about  the  same  amount  of  Latin  will 
be  taught.  In  this  way  the  child  can  get  a  taste  of  the  various 
lines  of  work  the  school  is  fitted  to  teach,  and  by  this  work  the 
abilities  and  interests  of  the  child  may  be  discovered.  This,  of 
course,  is  of  tremendous  importance.  When  the  child's  talents 
are  disclosed,  the  greatest  problem  of  the  student  is  solved. 

There  are,  however,  some  disadvantages  that  must  not  be 
overlooked.  The  departmental  plan  makes  it  necessary  that  the 
periods  of  the  junior  and  the  senior  high  school  be  the  same 
length,  in  order  that  the  passing  of  classes  in  the  two  schools  may 
take  place  at  the  same  time.  This  makes  it  somewhat  difficult  to 
arrange  a  schedule  without  slighting  same  subjects.  The  difficulty 
is  being  met,  however,  by  making  a  forty-five-minute  recitation 
period,  partly  for  study  under  the  guidance  of  the  teacher  in  the 
recitation  room,  and  partly  for  recitation.  This  plan  is  carried 
out  in  all  the  seventh  year  classes.  The  minor  subjects  are  so 
grouped  as  to  fit  into  the  periods.  Another  disadvantage  is  that 
some  subjects  have  to  be  taught  in  the  study  hall  when  the  stu- 
dents are  seated  there.  This  disadvantage  will  be  remedied 
another  year.  It  is  commonly  felt  that  students  in  the  seventh 
and  eighth  years  should  have  one  teacher  constantly  in  charge 
of  them  for  a  year.  But  this  has  not  caused  trouble,  for  the  two 
teachers  who  teach  all  the  major  subjects  of  these  years  come 


THE  JUNIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  15 

into  close  contact  with  the  students  for  this  period.    The  advan- 
tages more  than  outweigh  the  disadvantages. 

2.     The  Equipment. 

The  material  equipment  for  this  department  consists  of  a 
well  lighted  study  hall,  seating  eighty-five  pupils,  and  the  high 
school  recitation  rooms  for  the  recitation  work.  The  furniture 
is  in  good  condition.  In  the  study  hall  is  a  row  of  adjustable 
desks  for  the  convenience  of  the  undersized  and  the  oversized 
students.  The  room  is  well  supplied  with  appropriate  pictures 
but  lacks  in  library  equipment.  Again  the  disadvantage  of  the 
remote  location  of  the  combined  school  and  public  library  is  felt. 

j.     The  Attendance. 

The  attendance  in  this  department  has  increased  as  is  shown 
by  the  table. 

1912-1913— Boys 37    Girls  42    Total  79 

1913-1914— Boys 39    Girls  41     Total  80 

1 1914-191 5— Boys  44    Girls  49    Total  93 

This  attendance  consists  of  pupils  above  the  sixth  grade  and 
those  who  have  not  yet  obtained  their  entrance  in  full  to  the 
senior  high  school.*  This  year  the  enrollment  in  this  department 
has  become  so  large  that  it  has  been  necessary  to  seat  in  the 
senior  study  hall  all  students  who  lack  not  more  than  two  sub- 
jects for  their  high  school  entrance.  The  increased  enrollment 
is  due  to  two  causes.  There  is  less  elimination  of  students  from 
the  seventh  and  eighth  years,  and  a  larger  number  of  rural  stu- 
dents are  entering  to  prepare  for  high  school. 

t(Note:  These  figures  are  for  the  sixth  month  of  school,  and  will  be 
larger  at  the  close  of  the  year.  The  others  are  for  the  whole  year). 

The  entrance  to  the  senior  high  school  consists  of  the  successful  com- 
pletion of  the  work  in  arithmetic,  geography,  spelling,  elementary  English, 
elementary  U.  S.  History,  reading  and  writing. 


16  A  STUDY 

4.     The  Course  of  Study. 

The  course  of  study  for  this  department  is  based  on  the 
syllabus  outlined  by  the  State  Department  but  modified  by  the 
faculty  to  meet  the  needs  of  our  students.  Geography  has  been 
taught  the  first  half  of  the  seventh  year,  but  in  order  to  make 
room  for  subjects  aiding  in  vocational  guidance,  this  subject  must 
be  completed  in  the  sixth  grade  in  the  future.  In  addition  to  the 
ten  weeks  of  algebra  and  ten  weeks  of  Latin  now  taught  in  the 
last  half  of  the  eighth  year,  the  work  in  drawing  should  include 
some  mechanical  drawing,  and  the  work  in  arithmetic  some  ele- 
mentary bookkeeping.  It  is  hoped  that  within  a  short  time  the 
work  in  home  making  and  agriculture  may  be  added  when  the 
course  will  be  broad  enough  to  make  possible  vocational  guidance. 

The  students  of  this  department  are  supposed  to  spend  one 
hour  at  home  in  the  preparation  of  their  work.  This  time  is 
spent  on  history  and  spelling — subjects  in  which  the  parents'  aid 
will  be  of  true  service  to  the  student. 

The  students  have  a  spirit  of  work  and  loyalty  to  the  school, 
due  to  the  fine  work  of  the  teachers.  There  is  an  air  of  earnest- 
ness in  this  department.  This  must  not  be  construed,  however, 
to  mean  that  every  student  is  model,  for  such  is  not  the  case. 
Many  have  the  idea  that  they  can  get  something  for  nothing,  i.  e., 
they  can  make  headway  without  work.  They  usually  see  the 
error  of  their  ways  before  they  have  been  in  the  study  hall  for 
any  length  of  time. 


THE  JUNIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL 


17 


TABLE  6  .   Distribution   tf  Children  in 
Junior  High  School  ky  /lyes. 


T 


i*t. 


II 


8 


13  yrs. 


Total 


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4; 


J7 


NOTE  :  Directions  for  reading  graphs  are  found  on  page  109. 


18  A  STUDY 

5.     Acceleration,  Retardation  and  Elimination. 

An  examination  of  the  table  opposite  shows  the  acceleration 
and  the  retardation  in  the  junior  high  school  to  be  as  follows : 

Table  No.  7. 

Boys— September,  1914. 

Accelerated,  three  years   2.4% 

Accelerated,    two    years    9.7% 

Accelerated,  one  year    26.8% 

Normal    17.1% 

Retarded,  one  year  26.8% 

Retarded,   two  years    9.7% 

Retarded,  three  years    4.8% 

Retarded,  four  years   2.4% 

Girls. 

Accelerated,  two  years    21.6% 

Accelerated,  one  year   21.6% 

Normal    32.4% 

Retarded,   one  year    18.9% 

Retarded,  two  years  2.7% 

Retarded,  three  years   2.7% 

SUMMARY. 

Boys  accelerated    38.9% 

Normal    17.1% 

Boys   retarded    43.7% 

Girls  accelerated   43.2% 

Normal    32.4% 

Girls   retarded    24.3% 

A  marked  retardation  on  the  part  of  the  boys  is  here  shown. 
This  is  caused  largely  by  the  call  of  the  farm  and  the  nurseries. 
The  boys  get  working  certificates  that  they  may  work  in  the  fall 
and  in  the  spring.  When  the  work  is  over,  they  come  to  school 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  19 

when  it  is  open  and,  of  course,  the  absence  retards  them  in  their 
school  development.  These  boys  usually  remain  in  school  until 
they  have  nearly  or  entirely  completed  the  junior  high  school 
work,  but  rarely  enter  high  school.  If  they  do,  they  remain  only 
a  year  or  so. 

The  retardation  of  the  girls  is  greater  than  in  the  grades,  but 
this  is  natural,  for,  as  the  slow  pupils  advance  in  the  grades,  their 
retardation  increases. 

The  heavy  acceleration  in  this  department  points  to  a  prob- 
lem that  confronts  the  senior  high  school.  Nearly  all  of  the 
accelerated  students  continue  their  school  work  beyond  the  junior 
high  school.  Their  minds  are  rather  immature  to  do  much  of 
the  work  required  of  them  with  the  result  that  they  become 
retarded  and,  very  often,  are  over-burdened  in  their  senior  year 
or  else  require  five  years  to  complete  the  course. 

The  elimination  in  the  junior  high  school  for  1913-1914  num- 
bered five,  which  is  not  so  heavy  as  might  be  expected,  nor  so 
heavy  as  is  usually  found  throughout  the  country.  This  testifies 
eloquently  to  the  value  of  the  establishment  of  the  junior  high 
school  on  the  departmental  plan. 


VH.     THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

The  high  school  department,  now  known  as  the  senior  high 
school,  was  established  in  1883  when  the  Union  Free  School  Dis- 
trict was  formed,  and  it  was  housed  with  the  grades  in  the  old 
Seminary  Building.  It  has  always  been  true  to  the  ideals  of 
classical  training  and  has  stood  for  the  best  in  that  kind  of  work. 
The  course  of  study  was  not  broadened  until  1913-1914  when  a 
commercial  department  was  established.  The  reasons  for  this 
delay  are  three:  (1) — It  was  not  popular  in  this  state  among 
schools  the  size  of  the  Dansville  school  to  broaden  much  beyond 
the  traditional  high  school  course.  (2) — The  School  District  was 
shackeled  financially  by  the  bonded  indebtedness  imposed  by  hav- 


20 


A  STUDY 


ing  to  pay  for  the  original  building  twice.  (3) — The  school  build- 
ing was  not  large  enough  to  permit  expansion.  The  recent  spread 
of  commercial  and  vocational  education  throughout  the  state, 
the  payment  of  the  last  bond  for  the  old  school  building  in  1912, 
and  the  erection  of  the  addition  to  the  old  building,  paved  the  way 
for  a  new  era  in  the  educational  history  of  the  village. 


i.     The  Course  of  Study. 

The  traditional  high  school  course,  as  now  in  force  in  our 
school,  aims  to  prepare  for  the  normal  school,  the  college,  and 
the  technical  school,  and  to  give  a  broad  preparation  for  those 
not  able  to  attend  institutions  of  higher  learning.  It  is  as  follows : 


FIRST  YEAR. 

*t§English  I    4 

*t§Elem.  algebra   5 

§Biology    5 

*t§Latin  I    5 

§Elem.   design    2 

§Vocal  music    

SECOND  YEAR. 

*t§English  II    3 

*t§Plane  Geom 5 

*t§Ancient  hist 5 

*t§Latin  II   5 

*t  German  I 5 

§Elem.    representation    2 

§  Vocal  music   


THIRD  YEAR. 

*t§English  III  -. 3 

Chemistry    5 

§English  history  3-5 

*  Latin  III    5 

*t  German  II   5 

t§Adv.   representation    2 

§Vocal  music    

FOURTH  YEAR. 

*t§English   IV    3 

t§Physics    5 

t§American  history    5 

*  Latin    IV    5 

German  III   5 

*t$Inter.  algebra    2 

$Solid  geom 2 

^Trigonometry    2 

$Adv.  algebra   3 

t§Mech.  drawing  3 

§Vocal  music    


The  figures  to  the  right  of  the  subjects  represent  the  number  of  counts 
allowed  each  subject.  A  count  represents  a  recitation  of  40  minutes  each 
week  through  the  school  year. 

The  average  student  is  expected  to  carry  work  each  year  aggregating 
18  counts. 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  21 

Vocal  music,  one  period  per  week. 

iWhen  trigonometry  and  advanced  algebra  are  to  be  elected  inter- 
mediate algebra  and  solid  geometry  should  be  taken  in  the  third  year. 

"Required  for  entrance  to  a  college  liberal  arts  course. 

tRequired   for   entrance   to    a   college   scientific   course. 

The  same  are  required  for  entrance  to  a  technical  school,  with  the 
addition  of  solid  geometry,  trigonometry  and  advanced  algebra. 

§Required  for  entrance  to  state  normal  schools.  In  place  of  the  two 
years  of  Latin,  two  years  of  German  may  be  substituted. 

Whether  this  course  is  as  it  ought  to  be,  is  a  serious  question. 
The  whole  problem  resolves  itself  into  the  one  question,  "Is  there 
such  a  thing  as  a  general  or  a  formal  discipline?"  Arrayed  on 
both  sides  of  this  question  are  the  mightiest  minds  of  the  profes- 
sion, a  part  contending  vehemently  that  formal  discipline  is  a 
reality  that  must  not  be  sacrificed.  The  opponents  of  the  doc- 
trine, who  are  pronounced  students  of  experimental  psychology 
and  child  study,  seem  to  be  the  stronger  at  the  present  time,  with 
the  result  that  Greek  has  been  forced  from  the  curriculum  and 
Latin  and  pure  mathematics  do  not  hold  so  strong  a  position  as 
they  once  did.  However,  the  question  has  not  been  settled  de- 
cisively enough  as  yet  for  the  educational  authorities,  either  of 
the  state  or  the  smaller  units,  to  prune  much  further.  It  is  sin- 
cerely hoped  that  more  light  may  be  shed  on  this  problem  as  the 
years  go  by  so  that  there  may  not  be  so  much  wandering  in  the 
dark  as  to  whether  the  traditional  subjects  do  give  a  training  to 
the  mind,  making  it  stronger,  or  whether  they  serve  simply  as  a 
seive  to  select  from  the  students  those  whose  minds  are  naturally 
brighter  than  the  average.  The  course  is  justified  in  our  school, 
however,  because  it  is  required  for  entrance  by  institutions  of 
higher  learning. 

The  fact  remains,  however,  that  the  traditional  course  did 
not  serve  so  many  of  the  young  people  as  the  school  ought  to 
serve.  Hence  the  commercial  work  was  added. 


22  A  STUDY 

Course  of  Study  for  Commercial  Work. 

FIRST  YEAR.  THIRD  YEAR. 

English  I    4  English  III    3 

Elementary  bookkeeping    3  English   history    5 

Elementary  algebra    5  Shorthand,  or  a  foreign  lang. .  5 

Business  writing    2  Physics    or   chemistry    5 

Biology 5  FOURTH  YEAR. 

SECOND   YEAR.  Com.   Eng.   and  correspond. ...  3 

English  II    3  American  history  with  civics..  5 

Geometry     5  Commercial  law  2l/2 

Commercial  geography    2l/2  Economics    2 

Commercial  arithmetic   2l/2  Shorthand  II  or  a  for.  lang...  5 

Advanced  bookkeeping    5  Typewriting     3 

A  study  of  this  course  will  show  that  seven-twelfths  of  the 
work  consists  of  liberal  training,  i.  e.,  work  in  English,  history, 
mathematics  and  science.  The  remaining  five-twelfths  is  purely 
commercial.  Since  the  business  world  demands  efficiency  on  the 
part  of  its  servants,  and  the  average  student  desires  to  earn 
sooner  than  he  is  able,  it  has  been  very  wisely  ordered  that  no 
student  can  study  shorthand  or  typewriting  until  he  has  com- 
pleted two  years  of  high  school  work  or  its  equivalent,  or  else 
is  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  school  aims  to  prevent  a  pure 
commercial  training  without  some  fundamental  training  for  life. 

That  this  course  has  been  very  popular  among  the  students 
is  shown  by  the  enrollment  as  it  stood  January  5,  1915. 

Elementary  bookkeeping  27      Commercial  Law   4 

Advanced  bookkeeping   14     Shorthand    I    6 

Commercial   arithmetic    14     Shorthand   II    4 

Commercial   geography    24     Typewriting    6 

Commercial    English    4 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  more  advanced  subjects  have  a 
small  enrollment,  due  to  the  fact  that  this  is  the  first  year  they 
have  been  taught.  As  the  students  now  taking  the  elementary 
work  advance,  there  will  be  large  classes  in  the  advanced  work 
another  year. 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  23 

The  next  step  that  should  be  taken  by  the  school  is  the  estab- 
lishment of  courses  in  agriculture  and  home  making.  Already 
the  people  of  the  district  have  voted  at  their  annual  school  meet- 
ing to  empower  the  Board  of  Education  to  establish  such  courses 
when  they  feel  there  is  a  demand  for  such. 


2.     Equipment. 

The  senior  high  school  department  consists  of  a  study  hall 
seating  140  students;  six  recitation  rooms;  chemical,  physical 
and  biological  laboratories;  a  bookkeeping  room;  a  typewriting 
and  shorthand  room ;  and  a  music  and  drawing  room.  The  lab- 
oratories are  well  equipped  with  apparatus  and  reference  books. 
The  furniture  is  all  good,  and  every  wall  is  well  decorated  with 
appropriate  pictures.  One  room  is  equipped  with  an  excellent 
stereopticon  lantern  with  a  microscopic  attachment.  This  is  used 
consistently  by  most  of  the  departments,  the  slides  being  loaned 
the  school  by  the  State  Department.  The  library  of  the  school 
is  inadequate  to  its  needs.  There  are  dictionaries  in  English  and 
the  foreign  languages  taught  in  the  school,  encyclopedias,  and  a 
few  reference  books.  Theoretically,  the  combined  school  and 
public  library,  housed  over  on  Main  Street,  should  supplement 
the  school  library  and  it  does,  in  a  limited  sense;  but  to  be  of 
any  great  service  to  the  school,  this  library  is  located  at  too  great 
a  distance  from  the  school  building. 


j.     Election  of  Studies. 

Every  student  in  the  senior  high  school  has  at  least  one  con- 
ference with  the  principal  during  the  year,  concerning  his  course 
of  study.  In  the  month  of  May  each  student  selects,  in  consulta- 
tion with  the  principal,  his  next  year's  program  of  studies.  This 
is  done  for  three  reasons. 

1.  It  has  a  wholesome  effect  on  the  student  in  the  spring 
time  when  interest  begins  to  lag.  He  catches  a  vision  of  what  it 


24  A  STUDY 

will  mean  to  him  to  be  successful  in  his  work  for  the  year  about 
to  close,  and  thereby  he  is  spurred  on. 

2.  It  suggests  to  him  that  he  is  to  return  to  school  the  fol- 
lowing year.     During  his  summer  vacation  he  thinks  of  the  new 
program  and  another  year  of  progress. 

3.  The  consultation  with  the  principal  suggests  to  him  that 
he  should  keep  his  eye  on  the  completion  of  the  course  of  study 
and  should  look  to  the  work  he  intends  to  follow  after  leaving 
school. 

The  next  autumn,  when  the  student  returns  to  school,  this 
program  is  revised  as  the  need  may  be.  This  method  has  kept 
many  students  in  school  who  would  otherwise  have  dropped  out. 


4.     Home  Study. 

Each  student  is  supposed  to  do  from  one  to  two  hours  of 
home  work  each  school  night  as  his  program  may  demand.  If 
the  student  fails  to  do  passing  work,  he  may  be  assigned  to  a 
fifty-minute  study-period  after  school,  four  afternoons  each  week, 
when  the  student  concentrates  on  the  work  in  which  he  is  defi- 
cient. This  study  period  is  not  considered  a  penal  institution. 
It  is  a  time  set  apart  for  the  student  to  study  under  supervision, 
a  time  when  he  may  be  aided  in  his  work.  This  period  has  more 
than  justified  itself,  for  the  scholarship  of  the  school  has  im- 
proved since  its  inauguration.  It  is  admitted  that  the  time  is  not 
the  best  for  this  study-period,  but  no  other  time  is  available.  It 
would  be  better  for  the  student  to  be  out  on  the  playground  in 
the  fresh  air.  But  it  has  been  observed  that  most  of  those  who 
are  habitually  in  the  study-period,  are  those  who  take  too  much 
air  in  the  evenings  when  they  should  be  home  studying. 

5.     The  Esprit  de  Corps  of  the  Student  Body. 

The  young  men  and  women  of  the  senior  high  school  are  a 
quiet,  studious  body.  They  have  plenty  of  life  which  manifests 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  25 

itself  occasionally  as  young  people  are  wont  to  show  it,  but  as 
a  whole  the  students  are  well  behaved,  interested  in  their  work, 
and  of  a  good  moral  tone.  As  a  body,  they  are  in  school  for 
business. 

6.     Means  of  Interesting  Students  in  their  School  Work. 

Herbart  has  taught  us  that  interest  is  the  basis  of  successful 
school  work.  To  interest  the  students  in  our  school  every  effort 
is  made.  Every  student  who  begins  a  new  study  is  told  why  the 
subject  is  taught  and  what  he  may  expect  to  get  from  the  pur- 
suit of  the  study.  An  effort  is  made  to  make  the  student  feel 
he  is  not  walking  in  the  dark.  Mention  has  been  made  of  the 
personal  conferences  with  the  principal  concerning  the  student's 
future  and  concerning  the  present  work.  To  supplement  this, 
each  year  a  hand  book  is  published  giving  information  in  detail 
about  the  work  of  the  school.  Copies  of  this  are  mailed  to  the  stu- 
dents about  two  weeks  before  school  opens.  At  various  times  dur- 
ing the  year,  speakers  are  invited  to  come  to  the  high  school  to 
speak  to  the  students  concerning  educational  work,  the  vocations 
and  the  professions.  Business  men  are  asked  to  tell  the  students 
of  the  value  of  an  education  in  the  business  world.  At  times  the 
principal  gives  talks  during  the  opening  exercises  about  the 
school  and  education  in  general.  The  teachers  in  their  classrooms 
strive  to  encourage  the  pupil  in  his  work,  to  guide  him  to  the  goal 
toward  which  he  is  striving,  and  to  show  him  how  the  work  will 
aid  him  in  life.  In  other  words,  an  attempt  is  made  to  make  the 
work  as  practical  as  possible.  These  efforts  have  had  not  a  little 
effect  in  keeping  the  student  in  school,  and  they  account  consider- 
ably for  the  rise  from  the  slump  of  attendance  which  is  shown 
by  the  graph  of  attendance  (page  40). 

< 
7.     The  Attitude  of  the  School  Towards  the  Regents. 

New  York  State  has  imposed  on  its  schools  a  system  of  exam- 
inations, commonly  known  as  the  Regents,  as  a  test  of  their  effi- 


26  A  STUDY 

ciency.  In  the  absence  of  a  better  test,  they  may  be  tolerated. 
But  they  tend  to  kill  live  teaching.  Teachers  are  too  often  meas- 
ured by  their  ability  to  get  students  through  the  examinations. 
Students  come  to  look  upon  the  examinations  as  the  end  of  edu- 
cation, and  since  their  progress  is  measured  in  terms  of  Regents 
credits,  the  approaching  examinations  tend  to  have  a  very  baa 
effect  upon  those  who  are  nervous.  So  much  depends  upon  the 
three  hours  spent  in  writing  an  examination,  especially  in  the  sec- 
ond year  of  the  languages — credit  for  two  years'  work — that  the 
nervous  adolescent  boy  or  girl  is  taxed  more  than  should  be,  and 
often  failure  comes  to  those  most  worthy  to  receive  credit  for 
work  well  done.  Our  school  is  trying  to  overcome  this  evil  as 
far  as  the  system  of  examinations  will  permit.  The  students  are 
constantly  told  that  the  end  of  education  is  not  to  pass  an  exami- 
nation, but  to  get  knowledge  and  training.  If  these  are  obtained, 
the  examinations  will  be  passed  as  a  natural  course  of  events. 
Therefore,  they  should  work  throughout  the  year  to  gain  a  mas- 
tery of  the  subject.  The  Regents  examination  is  never  men- 
tioned. No  use  is  made  by  the  students  or  the  teachers  of  Re- 
gents question  papers  in  the  class  room  save  the  week  before 
the  examinations.  During  the  year  a  record  is  kept  of  the  class 
work  done  by  the  students,  and  quarterly  examinations  are  held. 
If  the  average  is  70%,  the  student  is  then  told  he  is  ready  to  be 
measured  by  the  State  through  the  Regents  examination.  Of 
course,  this  rule  is  flexible,  that  no  injustice  may  be  done  a  worthy 
student.  The  result  of  this  is  that  nervousness  is  reduced,  cram- 
ming is  decidedly  discouraged,  and  the  Regents  are  kept  in  the 
background.  The  same  spirit  is  manifested  throughout  the  fac- 
ulty. They  follow  closely  the  State  Syllabus  which  they 
try  to  cover  thoroughly,  but  the  Regents  examination  ques- 
tion paper  is  not  held  before  the  pupil  as  a  "bogie-man  who  will 
get  you  if  you  don't  watch  out."  This  attitude  has  had  a  very 
wholesome  effect  upon  the  students  since  it  was  inaugurated 
in  1911-1912.  We  hope  that  the  State  will  soon  cease  to  lay 
so  much  emphasis  upon  a  dry-as-dust  examination,  prepared  by 
those  who  know  but  little  of  the  living  work  of  the  class  room, 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  27 

but  rather  much  emphasis  upon  the  living  work  of  the  class 
room,  day  by  day,  and  rigidly  inspected  at  least  two  or  three 
times  each  year  by  men  of  rich  pedagogical  experience.  We  have 
inspection  now,  but  it  isn't  rigid  enough  because  there  are  too  few 
inspectors.  When  it  is  possible  for  the  schools  to  be  inspected  at 
least  twice  annually,  then  the  State  can  say  to  a  school,  "Your 
work  is  such  that  it  is  approved,  and  your  students  may  have 
credit  for  the  work  they  have  done."  If  the  State  does  not 
think  this  entirely  practical,  it  would  be  at  least  a  great  improve- 
ment if  some  credit  might  be  granted  for  the  daily  work  of  the 
student.  Perhaps  it  would  be  'well  to  base  the  amount  of  public 
money  a  district  should  receive  upon  the  results  of  the  inspection, 
revealing  the  character  of  the  work  done  and  the  spirit  of  the 
school.  In  a  way  the  State  is  doing  this  very  thing  in  its  voca- 
tional work  in  which  there  are  no  Regents  examinations. 


8.     Requirements  for  Graduation. 

In  the  past,  the  requirement  for  graduation  from  the 
high  school  was  to  earn  a  Regents  Academic  Diploma.  The  stu- 
dents would  write  their  examinations  the  week  before  commence- 
ment, their  papers  were  corrected  immediately  and  then  for- 
warded to  Albany  for  a  final  review  by  the  officials  there.  The 
results  of  this  review  were  telegraphed  back  to  the  school,  and 
those  students  who  had  gone  successfully  through  all  this  pro- 
cedure were  graduated.  Those  who  had  failed  might  be  per- 
mitted to  sit  on  the  stage  and  receive  an  unsigned  diploma 
which  was  signed  as  soon  as  the  Regents  were  passed.  It 
is  a  blessing  that  such  requirements  have  been  relegated  to  the 
museum.  Just  why  two  diplomas  are  necessary  to  certify  to  the 
fact  that  one  has  been  earned,  has  always  been  unexplainable. 
The  new  requirements  for  graduation  are  summed  up  as  follows : 

First.  The  student  must  have  to  his  credit  52  academic  counts  and 
must  have  taken  part  in  rhetoricals  at  least  twice  during  his  junior  year 
to  be  admitted  as  a  member  of  the  senior  class. 


28  A  STUDY 

Second.  The  student  must  be  registered  for  work  which  will  com- 
plete the  requirements  for  an  academic  diploma,  or  a  college  entrance 
diploma. 

Third.  The  student  must  maintain  during  his  senior  year  a  class 
standing  of  at  least  70%  in  each  subject,  and  must  take  part  in  senior 
rhetoricals  at  least  twice. 

With  the  fulfillment  of  these  three  requirements  the  student  will  take 
part  in  the  public  commencement  exercises  and  will  receive  a  signed  school 
diploma. 

By  this  method,  the  school  diploma  represents  successful 
completion  of  the  work  of  the  student  done  in  his  senior  year. 
It  means  that  in  this  year  he  has  made  good  in  his  daily  work. 
The  Regents  Diploma  represents  his  success  in  Regents  examina- 
tions. Thus  the  two  diplomas  stand  for  things  different  at  least 
in  part.  This  plan  of  graduation  has  put  the  Regents  examina- 
tions in  the  background,  for  the  student  is  graduated  whether  or 
not  be  passes  the  examinations  in  his  senior  year.  However,  if 
a  student  fails  to  maintain  during  his  senior  year  the  required 
school  ratings,  he  may  be  graduated  on  the  old  basis  if  he  so  de- 
sires. This,  we  hope,  will  be  abolished  in  the  near  future.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  in  this  connection,  that  under  this  system  of 
graduation,  there  has  been  a  larger  percentage  of  Regents  Di- 
plomas earned  by  the  graduates  than  there  was  by  those  who  have 
been  graduated  under  the  old  system  in  recent  years.  This  goes 
far  to  prove  that  when  the  emphasis  is  laid  on  the  daily  work 
rather  than  on  the  examinations,  the  best  work  is  secured. 

In  order  to  raise  the  value  of  the  school  ratings  in  the  minds 
of  the  students,  application  has  been  made  to  many  of  our  col- 
leges for  the  privilege  of  entering  students  on  certificate  rather 
than  on  Regents  standings.  After  investigation  and  inspection 
on  the  part  of  some  of  the  colleges,  this  privilege  was  given  us 
by  Smith,  Mount  Holyoke,  Michigan,  Michigan  College  of  Agri- 
culture, The  University  of  Rochester,  Elmira,  Syracuse  and  Wil- 
liam Smith.  At  the  present  time  application  is  being  made  at  Wells 
for  the  privilege.  All  students  who  have  entered  these  colleges 
of  late  years  have  done  so  on  the  recommendation  of  the  school 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  29 

rather  than  on  Regents  credentials,  and  all  have  succeeded  in 
their  work. 


p.      Efficiency  of  the  School  as  Measured  by  the 
Regents  Examinations. 

Since  the  State  Department  measures  the  efficiency  of  the 
school  by  its  system  of  examinations,  it  is  only  fair  that  the  re- 
sults of  such  measurement  of  our  school  be  given.  In  the  year 
ending  1912,  there  were  331  examinations  written,  of  which  292 
were  claimed.  Of  these  the  State  Department  accepted  274. 
In  other  words,  82.5%  of  all  the  papers  written  were  accepted  by 
the  State  Department  and  93.8%  of  the  papers  claimed  by  the 
faculty  were  accepted  by  the  Department.  In  the  year  ending 
1913,  there  were  410  papers  written,  343  were  claimed  by  us,  and 
323  were  accepted  by  the  Department.  Putting  these  in  per 
cents,  78.3%  of  the  papers  written  were  accepted  by  the  State, 
and  94.1%  of  the  papers  claimed  by  us  were  accepted.  In  both 
years  our  high  school  has  led  the  county  in  this  respect.  It  is 
also  interesting  to  compare  these  results  with  those  of  some  of 
the  largest  and  best  high  schools  in  the  State. 


Table  No.  8. 

The  Year  1912. 

Per  cent  of  Per  cent  of 
those  writ'n  those  claim'd 

Name  of  School           Written     Claimed     Accepted  accepted.  accepted. 

Buffalo    Central    6287           5205           4506  71.7  86.6 

DANSVILE    331             292             274  82.5  93.8 

Erasmus  Hall,  N.  Y.  C    8052           6285           6041  75.  96.1 

Ithaca    2007            1600           1461  72.8  91.3 

Masten    Park,    Buffalo.     8118            6691            6031  74.3  90.1 

LaFayette,    Buffalo    ...     8380           6909           6244  74.5  90.4 

Syracuse    4269           3442           3262  76.4  94.7 

Wash.  Irving,  N.  Y.  C.    3995           3261            3100  77.6  95.1 

Yonkers    .                           3189           2913           2774  87.  95.2 


30  A  STUDY 

For  The  Year  1913. 

Per  cent  of  Per  cent  of 
those  writ'n  those  claim' d 

Name  of  School           Written  Claimed     Accepted  accepted.  accepted. 

Buffalo    Central    6134  5122           4667  76.1  91.1 

DANSVILLE    410  343             323  78.8  94.1 

Erasmus    Hall    7921  6830           6669  84.1  97.6 

Ithaca    1984  1632           1492  75.2  91.4 

LaFayette    8271  6388           5777  69.8  90.4 

Hasten  Park   7548  6264           5737  76.  91.5 

Syracuse    4029  3025           2876  71.4  95.1 

Wash.  Irving  1 . .    4913  3954           3788  77.1  95.8 

Yonkers    3523  3214           3080  87.4  95.8 

These  schools  have  been  chosen  at  random  from  the  report 
of  the  Regents  Examinations  Division  at  Albany.  The  com- 
parison, if  the  Regents  examinations  are  an  indication  of  effi- 
ciency, shows  the  Dansville  High  School  to  be  doing  her  work 
well. 


10.    Acceleration,  Retardation  and  Elimination. 

By  carefully  studying  the  high  school  registers  for  the  last 
twenty  years,  it  has  been  learned  as  accurately  as  possible,  that 
there  has  been  an  average  of  37  students  entering  the  senior 
high  school  each  year.  The  average  number  to  be  graduated 
during  this  time  has  been  11.4  per  year,  thereby  making  an  elimi- 
nation of  25.6  students  per  year.  In  other  words,  692%  of  the 
students  who  have  entered  high  school  have  been  eliminated  some- 
time during  the  course.  This  is  a  serious  problem,  indeed. 

The  acceleration  and  the  retardation  of  those  entering  is 
quite  accurately  shown  by  the  acceleration  and  retardation  of  the 
students  in  the  junior  high  school.  Before  the  change  in  the 
requirements  for  the  Regents  Academic  Diploma,  which  took 
place  during  the  period  of  three  years  beginning  1906,  but  a  small 
number  of  students  required  more  than  four  years  to  complete 
the  high  school  course,  in  fact,  not  a  few  were  able  to  finish  the 
high  school  course  in  three  years.  But  since  then,  about  forty 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  31 

per  cent  of  the  students  require  five  years  to  complete  the  work. 
This  shows  the  retardation  of  pupils  who  graduate  after  they 
have  entered  high  school.  The  retardation  among  those  who  do 
not  graduate,  is  in  many  cases  appalling.  A  study  of  the  causes 
of  this  retardation  is  made  in  a  small  way  in  the  discussion  of 
the  questionaire  sent  those  who  had  dropped  out  of  school. 

//.    Diversions  and  Amusements. 

It  was  mentioned  in  the  introduction  that  Dansville  is  a 
village  fond  of  amusements  and  has  earned  for  itself  the  repu- 
tation of  being  one  of  the  best  "show  towns"  in  New  York.  Nat- 
urally, the  students  are  fond  of  this  form  of  entertainment,  and  too 
many  are  prone  to  forget  their  school  obligations  when  a  show 
comes  to  town.  The  moving  pictures  are  very  popular  with  the 
students.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  study  to  pass  upon  the 
question  whether  the  children  ought  to  attend  the  shows  and 
''movies,"  but  it  is  one  of  its  purposes  to  emphasize  the  necessity 
that  children  learn  to  put  the  school  work  first,  and  after  that, 
the  recreation  the  parent  thinks  best  and  most  proper.  Sad  is  the 
day  for  the  young  man  or  the  young  woman  when  he  or  she  ac- 
quires the  habit  of  fun  first,  and  work  afterwards.  The  import- 
ance of  finishing  one's  work  first  before  one  begins  one's  pleasure, 
cannot  be  emphasized  to  strenuously.  This  is  the  lesson  that  the 
school  wishes  to  emphasize,  and  it  needs  the  hearty  co-operation  of 
the  parents  to  bring  results.  The  writer  hopes  that  he  may  not  be 
misunderstood  in  this  matter.  He  is  not  unsympathetic  with  the 
students.  The  boys  and  girls  have  in  this  regard  a  harder  time 
today  than  had  those  of  twenty  years  ago.  The  development  of 
the  "movies,"  the  greater  number  of  traveling  dramatic  troupes, 
and  the  greater  demands  of  the  social  life  of  the  day,  offer  at- 
tractions difficult  for  live  boys  and  girls  to  resist.  Perhaps  if 
things  were  in  our  day  as  they  are  today,  we  should  have  been 
even  worse  victims  than  many.  No  one  likes  to  see  students  have 
good  times  more  than  the  writer,  but  he  feels  keenly  the  necessity 
for  them  to  learn  the  great  lesson  of  life,  putting  first  things  first. 


32  A  STUDY 

12.     Student  Activities. 

The  high  school  is  distinctively  a  school  for  the  adolescent. 
As  such  it  must  take  account  of  the  budding  social  instincts  of 
the  student,  and  develop  these  instincts  in  a  wholesome  way.  In 
this,  our  school  fails.  Athletic  sports  are  not  what  they  should 
be,  largely  because  they  are  not  directed  by  a  member  of  the 
faculty.  Once  there  was  a  prosperous  debating  society  for  the 
boys,  and  a  literary  society  for  the  girls.  Both  have  died  a  nat- 
ural death  due  to  the  fact  that  they  were  not  carefully  fostered 
by  the  faculty.  In  years  gone  by,  a  most  excellent  school  publica- 
tion was  edited  and  published  by  the  students.  Last  year  this  ac- 
tivity was  revived  for  a  time,  but  this  year  it  has  not  been  at- 
tempted. The  trouble  seems  to  be  that  the  demands  of  the  course 
of  study  is  such,  that  the  students  have  but  little  time  left  for 
activities,  and  what  is  left,  seems  to  be  taken  by  outside  activities. 
For  the  athletics  there  is  a  distinct  need  of  faculty  coaching  and 
supervision.  The  social  side  of  the  student's  life  is  served,  in  a 
meager  way,  by  perhaps,  four  dances  held  each  year  in  the  gymna- 
sium under  the  supervision  of  the  faculty.  This  year  the  high 
school  students  are  given  the  privilege  of  mingling  with  one  an- 
other in  the  halls  before  school  calls.  The  problem  of  student 
activities,  however,  is  far  from  being  solved,  and  it  needs  imme- 
diate attention. 

This  autumn  the  senior  class,  aided  by  some  other  students, 
presented  under  the  direction  of  Miss  Barbara  A.  MacLeod,  Gold- 
smith's, "She  Stoops  to  Conquer,"  in  the  Heckman  Opera  House. 
The  work  was  excellent,  and  those  who  took  part  were  credited 
with  their  rhetorical  work  for  the  senior  year.  This,  perhaps, 
suggests  a  way  of  handling  the  literary  activities. 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  33 

jj.     The  Graduates. 

The  Dansville  High  School  graduated  its  first  class  in  1890 
and  has  graduated  one  each  year  since.  There  are  in  all  252 
graduates  distributed  in  classes  as  follows: 

Table  No.  9. 

1890  7  1899  9  1908 6 

1891  13  1900  6  1909  ,  14 

1892  9  1901  13  1910  10 

1893  12  1902  11  1911  7 

1894  4  1903  18  1912  11 

1895  5  1904  14  1913  8 

1896  5  1905  15  1914  22 

1897  8  1906  15 

1898  9  1907  11 

o 

Graph  number  I  shows  this  distribution,  and  the  number  of 
men  and  women  in  each  class.  The  black  bars  represent  the  men 
and  the  white,  the  women.  The  two  bars  together  represent  the 
number  in  the  class.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  women  out- 
number the  men  in  every  class  save  six,  of  which  only  two 
boasted  of  more  men  than  women.  In  the  remainder,  the  men 
and  the  women  were  equal  in  number.  In  one  class  there  was 
not  a  man  to  be  graduated.  The  study  of  the  graph  reveals  a 
slump  in  the  number  of  graduates  in  1894.  This  was  probably 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  first  four  classes  to  be  graduated,  culled 
out  those  students  who  were  doing  advanced  work.  From  1894 
there  is  a  steady  increase  until  1903,  when  a  high  water  mark  is 
set.  A  level  is  then  reached  a  little  below  the  18  mark  which  was 
retained  until  1906  when  another  slump  begins.  This  falling  off  is 
probably  due  to  the  increase  in  requirements  for  the  Regents  Aca- 
demic Diploma  which  was  made  in  1905.  Before  this  time,  a 
year's  subject  received  four  credits,  and  48  credits  were  necessary 
to  earn  the  diploma.  After  that  time  five  credits  were  allowed 
for  a  year's  work  in  a  subject,  and  there  was  a  gradual  increase 
to  72  credits  in  the  requirements  for  a  diploma — a  20% 
increase.  Although  the  passing  mark  was  lowered  from  75% 


34 


A  STUDY 


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THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  35 

to  60%,  it  is  generally  conceded  by  our  best  universities  that 
the  60%  of  today  is  nearly  as  exacting  as  the  75%  of  the  past, 
because  the  examinations  are  severer  and  the  rating  of  the  papers 
is  closer. 

Beginning  with  1914,  there  is  a  jump  to  the  high  water  mark 
in  the  history  of  the  school, 'twenty-two  people  being  graduated. 
This  is  probably  due  to  two  reasons: 

1.  There  was  a  large  number  of  students  left  over  from 
preceding  classes  who  remained  in  school  because  of  tremendous 
efforts  on  the  part  of  the  faculty  to  interest  them. 

2.  The  results  of  the  methods  described  under  the  heading 
"Means  of  interesting  students  in  their  work."    The  class  to  be 
graduated  June,  1915,  gives  promise  of  having  from  sixteen  to 
twenty-four  members. 

Up  to  and  including  the  class  of  1912,  there  have  been  on 
the  average,  11.4  graduates  each  year.  This  is  altogether  too 
small  a  number  for  Dansville. 


36  A  STUDY 

14.    What  the  Students  Have  Done  Since  Their  Graduation. 

From  a  questionaire  sent  the  graduates  up  to  and  including 
the  class  of  1912,  the  higher  institutions  attended  by  them,  the 
degrees  they  earned,  and  the  occupations  of  50%  of  these  grad- 
uates have  been  learned. 

Table  No.  10. 

Institutions  Attended. 


Albany  Normal  College   2 

University  of  Buffalo  4 

University  of  Chicago   1 

Columbia  University    4 

Barnard  College  4 

Colgate  University 2 

Cornell  University  11 

Cleveland  Library  School 

Case  School  of  Ap.  Sc 

Harvard  University 

Illinois  

Lehigh  University  

University  of  Michigan 6 

Missouri  School  of  Mines 2 

New  York  Library  School 1 

Notre  Dame 1 

Mount  Holyoke  College 1 


Brought  forward   

Oberlin 

Ohio  Wesleyan  College 
Miami  College 


44 

1 

1 

1 

University  of  Rochester 2 

Syracuse  University 4 

St.  Bernard's  Seminary 3 

Union  University 1 

Yale  University   1 

Total    attending    institutions    of 

collegiate  rank   *58 

Geneseo  State  Normal    23 

Oswego  Normal  2 

Buffalo  Normal    1 

St.    Andrew's    Kind.    School....     1 
Ithaca  School  of  Expression ....     1 


Total    44        Total  attend'g  Normal  Schools  28 


Table  No.  11. 

Classification  of  Institutions  Attended  by  the  Graduates. 
Business  Schools   9     Training  Schools   3 


Colleges  or  Profsional  Schools. *47 
Normal  Schools   .  .  28 


Academy 
Total  . 


1 


*Note:  In  Table  No.  10,  the  number  of  institutions  is  larger  than  in 
the  other  because  some  went  from  one  college  to  another,  thereby  increas- 
ing the  number. 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  37 

Table  No.  12. 

Degrees  Earned  by  the  Graduates. 

Bachelor  of  Arts   9 

(There    are    six    now    attending   college    who    will    earn 
their  A.  B.  degree.) 

Bachelor  of  Philosophy  5 

(One  now  in  college  will  earn  this  degree.) 

Doctor  of   Medicine    5 

Bachelor  of  Laws   4 

Bachelor  of  Science  5 

B.  S.  in  Mining  Engineering   2 

Civil    Engineering    1 

Bachelor  of  Electrical  Engineering 1 


Table  No.  13. 

Occupations  of  the  Graduates. 

Architect  1      Machinist    1 

Business    5     Merchant    4 

Banking    1      Mining  Engineering   2 

Bookkeeping    3     Nurseryman  4 

Clerk    4      Physician    5 

Commercial  Art   1      Private  Secretary 2 

Catholic  Priest  2      Pharmacist  2 

Compositor  1      Poultry  Raising   2 

Electrotyper  1      Review  Editor 1 

Engineer    2     Reporting  and  Editing    1 

Farmer  1     Student    11 

Homemaking  23     Stenographer   3 

Insurance  Agent   1      Social  Work   1 

Librarian 2     Teaching  23 

Lawyer    4     Telephone  Operator   1 

Letter  Carrier 1      Telephone  Engineer   1 

Musician    1 

Music  Teacher  2 

These  tables  show  that  eighty-eight  of  the  one  hundred  and 
sixteen  replying  to  the  questionaire,  have  continued  their  educa- 


38  A  STUDY 

tion  beyond  high  school ;  that  no  one  college  has  had  a  monopoly 
of  patronage  of  the  Dansville  High  School  graduates ;  that  most 
of  those  who  have  attended  normal  schools  have  gone  to  Geneseo ; 
and  that  the  distribution  of  occupations  of  the  graduates  is  wide. 
Judging  from  these  occupations,  there  is  a  need  for  the  college 
and  normal  preparatory  courses  and  a  course  in  home  making. 


75.    Attendance. 

The  attendance  upon  instruction  in  the  high  school  for  the 
past  ten  years  reaches  a  high  mark  of  137  in  1905-1906  and  from 
that  time  there  then  is  a  gradual  slump  to  1909-1910. 


16.    A  Study  of  the  Slump  in  Attendance. 

The  graphs  for  the  attendance  in  the  entire  school,  in  the 
grades,  and  in  the  academic  department,  show  a  general  slump 
beginning  in  the  year  1904-1905.  Graph  number  3  shows  the 
distribution  of  attendance  in  the  academic  department  between 
the  residents  and  the  non-residents.  This  reveals  the  fact  that 
the  non-residents  did  not  make  a  material  contribution  to  the 
slump.  Hence,  practically  the  whole  problem  deals  with  the  at- 
tendance of  the  residents.  Nearly  all  the  grade  students  are 
resident,  hence  again  the  problem  is  shown  to  be  entirely  local 
in  character.  A  graph  was  drawn  of  the  number  of  children  of 
school  age  in  the  district,  as  given  by  the  school  censuses. 
This  reveals  a  slump  also.  A  tremedous  drop  is  shown  in  this 
graph  for  the  year  1909-1910.  This  is  due  to  an  error  on  the  part 
of  the  census  taker,  however,  as  is  shown  by  a  careful  comparison 
of  the  censuses  for  the  preceding  and  the  succeeding  years.  This 
slump,  shown  by  the  census,  points  to  the  birth  rate.  A  study  of 
the  vital  statistics  of  the  Town  of  North  Dansville  as  found  in 
the  office  of  the  Town  Clerk,  shows  the  births  for  the  years 
beginning  with  1882  and  ending  1913. 


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42  A  STUDY 

Table  No.  14. 

Number  of  Births  Per  Year  in  the  Town  of  North  Dansville  Since  1882. 

Date.    Boys.  Girls.    Total.  Date.  Boys.  Girls.   Total. 

1882 37  31  68      1899  23  30  53 

1883  38  44  82      1900  31  18  49 

1884  41  36  77      1901  29  25  54 

1885  28  38  66      1902  37  22  59 

1886  34  26  60      1903  25  30  55 

1887 46  22  68      1904  35  19  54 

1888 30  25  55      1905  36  20  56 

1889 42  34  76      1906  27  32  59 

1890 40  29  69      1907  32  40  72 

1891  39  33  72      1908 39  28  67 

1892 43  23  66      1909  44  27  71 

1893  41  29  70      1910 30  39  69 

1894 22  25  47      1911  37  44  81 

1895  40  34  74      1912  29  28  57 

1896 27  36  63      1913  34  34  68 

1897 35  30  65  1914 

.33  29  62 


These  put  in  the  form  of  a  graph  show  an  interesting  curve 
with  a  material  slump,  beginning  1895  and  ending  1907.  The 
average  birth  rate  for  the  years  1882-1895  is  67.8,  and  for  the 
years  1896-1907  is  58.4.  This  slump  is  not  due  to  a  variation  in 
population  of  the  village,  as  the  data  received  from  the  United 
States  Bureau  shows: 


Table  No.  15. 

Population  of  Dansville  in  1880  3,625 

1890  3,758 

1900  3,633 

1910  3,938 

A  study  of  this  graph  reveals  the  following  observations: 

1.  There  are  more  boys  born  in  the  Town  of  North  Dans- 
ville than  there  are  girls.  Yet  in  the  academic  department  there 
are  many  more  girls  than  boys  and  among  the  252  graduates  there 


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44  A  STUDY 

are  but  90  boys.    There  is  a  tremendous  dropping  off  of  boys  in 
our  school. 

2.  The  graph  of  the  boys  and  girls  attending  the  grades, 
shows  more  girls  up  to  1910,  but  since  then  the  boys  are  in  the 
majority,  as  the  birth  rate  indicates  they  ought  to  be.     This  is 
undoubtedly  due  to  an  efficient  enforcement  of  the  compulsory 
attendance  law,  and  to  the  fact  that  the  parents  are  coming  to 
appreciate  the  fact  that  the  boys  need  an  education  for  an  effi- 
cient life. 

3.  Taking  six  years  as  the  average  age  of  the  students  in 
the  first  grade,  and  fourteen  years  as  the  average  age  of  those 
in  the  eighth  grade,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  children  in  school 
during  the  year  1911-1912,  the  year  of  the  smallest  registration, 
were  born  between  1898  and  1906.     This  is  the  period  of  the 
greatest  slump  in  the  birth  rate,  which  shows  that  the  slump  in  the 
grades  is  accounted  for  in  the  birth  rate. 

4.  The  slump  in  the  academic  department  began  in   the 
year  1906-1907.     Taking  fourteen  as  the  average  age  of  those 
entering  high  school,  and  eighteen  as  that  of  those  graduating, 
we  have  as  the  birth  years  for  those  in  attendance  that  year,  the 
period  between  1889  and  1893.    This  comes  before  the  slump  in 
the  birth  rate.    The  end  of  the  slump  in  the  academic  department 
comes  in  the  year  1911-1912.    The  birth  years  for  these  students 
is  the  period  between  1894  and  1898.     But  this  period  is  in  the 
beginning  of  the  slump  in  the  birth  rate.     The  year  1914-1915 
will  have  the  largest  attendance  in  the  history  of  the  school.    The 
birth  years  for  the  students  attending  this  year,  is  the  period 
between   1897  and   1901   which  marks  the  greatest   falling  off 
in  the  birth  rate.    Thus,  the  slump  in  the  high  school  is  not  due 
in  any  way  to  the  slump  in  the  birth  rate,  although  the  graph  of 
the  attendance  of  the  boys  shows  that  it  may  have  been  influenced 
somewhat  by  it.    All  this  means  that  the  high  school  is  reaching 
and  holding  the  boys  and  girls  to-day,  more  than  ever  before, 
for,  when  the   slump  in  the  birth   rate  and   in   the  attendance 
in  the  grades  point  to  a  slump  in  the  high  school,  there  is  rather 
a  heavy  increase  in  attendance. 


THE  SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL  45 

Two  partial  reasons  for  the  slump  in  the  academic  attend- 
ance are 

(1)  Practically  those  for  the  slump  in  the  number  of  grad- 
uates (see  page  33) ,  which  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  slump 
in  the  number  of  graduates  began  the  same  year  that  the  slump 
in  the  academic  attendance  began. 

(2)  The  abolition  of  the  March  examinations,  which  oc- 
curred about  the  same  time  as  the  increase  in  the  requirement 
for  the  Academic  Diploma,  seems  to  make  a  contribution  to  the 
falling  off  in  attendance.    Boys  and  young  men  who  had  to  work 
in  the  autumn  and  the  spring,  used  to  rely  on  these  examinations 
to  get  credit  for  the  work  they  had  done.     There  was  no  time 
limit  set  for  the  study  of  any  subject,  so  the  brightest  of  them 
might  do  a  year's  work  in  a  subject  during  the  short  time  they 
were  in  the  school.    Under  the  new  conditions,  there  were  no  ex- 
aminations they  could  try  while  they  were  in  school,  and  the  time 
limits  set  practically  prohibited  these  students    from  getting  credit 
for  work  done  in  short  time.    The  passing-mark  set  by  the  Re- 
gents for  short  time  work  was  raised  20%  above  the  passing-mark 
for  subjects  pursued  full  time. 

These  two  causes  undoubtedly  caused  many  students  to  be- 
come discouraged  and  to  drop  out  of  school.  In  1913-1914,  how- 
ever, the  enrollment  reached  the  139  mark.  This  advance  is  due 
to  four  causes. 

(1)  The  students  had  become  accustomed  to  the  new  re- 
quirements and  remained  in  school  the  whole  year. 

(2)  A  tremendous  effort  on  the  part  of  the  faculty  to  keep 
students  in  school,  and  the  interest  aroused  by  building  the  new 
addition  to  the  school  have  borne  fruit. 

(3)  The  establishment  of  the  commercial  department  has 
attracted  many  students  to  the  school. 

(4)  An  awakened  interest  on  the  part  of  the  parents  is 
keeping  the  students  in  school. 

It  is  very  gratifying  to  see  this  advance.  The  registration 
for  the  present  year  will  undoubtedly  mount  to  the  145  mark. 


46  A  STUDY 

However,  this  registration  is  not  what  it  otfght  to  be  for  a  village 
of  4,000  inhabitants.  Sister  villages  of  the  size  of  ours  have  regis- 
trations of  160  to  180.  Dansville  must  leave  no  stone  unturned 
until  she  is  serving  her  young  people  at  least  as  well  as  our  neigh- 
bors are  serving  theirs.  The  graphs  show  that  the  boys  must 
be  reached.  Practical  work  must  be  given  to  the  boys  who  do 
not  intend  to  continue  their  education  beyond  high  school.  They 
must  be  taught  to  see  that  work  they  do  at  school  will  be  a  prac- 
tical aid  in  life,  before  the  influence  of  the  mighty  dollar,  earned 
so  easily  in  the  nursery  work,  can  be  successfully  counteracted. 
This  fact  will  be  shown  in  the  discussion  of  the  questionaire  sent 
to  those  who  failed  to  complete  their  high  school  course. 


VIII.     VOCATIONAL  GUIDANCE. 

When  a  pupil  enters  the  senior  high  school  department,  the 
first  question  the  faculty  yearns  to  have  answered  is  for  what 
work  the  pupil  by  his  talents  and  tastes  is  fitted  to  follow.  With 
this  question  in  mind,  the  principal  requires  each  entrant  to  an- 
swer, if  he  can,  the  following  question  which  is  found  on  the 
registration  card :  "For  what  do  you  intend  to  fit  yourself  ?  Do 
you  intend  to  continue  your  education  beyond  the  high  school, 
and  if  so,  at  what  kind  of  an  institution?"  These  questions  are 
asked,  not  with  the  idea  that  the  child  has  already  thought  them 
out,  but  rather  to  arouse  him  to  think.  The  registration  cards 
for  the  past  four  years  have  been  compared  to  learn  how  much 
continuity  in  aim  there  has  been,  year  by  year,  on  the  part  of 
the  students. 


I.    Results  of  the  Comparison. 

Of  thirty-one  boys,  only  eight  stated  the  same  profession  or  employ- 
ment each  year.  Of  these,  one  wished  to  prepare  for  engineering,  six  for 
agriculture,  and  one  for  business.  Of  fifty-nine  girls,  twenty- four  reported 


VOCATIONAL  GUIDANCE  47 

on  their  registration  cards  the  same  profession  or  occupation  each  year. 
Of  these,  twelve  stated  teaching;  five,  stenographical  work;  four,  a  regular 
college  course;  one,  music;  two,  music  and  drawing  work  in  teaching; 
and  one,  physical  direction. 

Two  boys  and  one  girl  had  no  idea  of  what  they  wished  to  do,  or 
for  what  to  fit  themselves. 

In  their  last  two  years  of  school  work,  five  boys  and  seven  girls  made 
the  same  choice  for  each  year. 

Three  boys  and  seven  girls  stated  some  occupation  either  in  their  first 
or  second  year,  and  since  then,  they  have  not  stated  any  choice.  They 
seem  to  have  given  up  their  choice  and  to  have  failed  to  be  able  to  make 
another. 

Two  boys  failed  to  make  a  decision  until  their  last  year. 

Of  the  remainder,  there  are  a  variety  of  decisions.  One  boy  in  his 
first  year  wanted  to  attend  a  business  school,  the  next  year  he  wished  to 
become  a  professor  in  a  college,  the  third  year  he  decided  to  become  an 
engineer  because  of  his  fondness  for  mathematics,  and  the  following  year 
he  entered  an  engineering  school.  Another  began  school  with  the  desire 
to  attend  the  U.  S.  Naval  Academy,  later  to  become  an  engineer,  but 
finally  decided  to  enter  a  school  of  accountancy.  A  girl  vacillated  between 
domestic  science  and  stenography.  Another  began  with  a  desire  to  become 
a  history  teacher,  the  next  year  she  wished  to  go  to  college,  the  third  year 
she  decided  to  study  music  which  she  is  now  doing.  A  boy  began  with  the 
desire  to  become  a  designer,  then  an  architect,  and  finally  an  engineer. 
Another  changed  back  and  forth  from  draftsman  to  nurseryman.  A  girl 
began  with  a  desire  to  become  a  trained  nurse,  then  a  teacher.  A  boy  first 
desired  to  become  a  lawyer,  then  to  take  a  straight  college  course,  and 
finally  decided  to  attend  a  school  of  accountancy.  Another  wished  in  his 
first  year  to  study  medicine  which  he  wished  in  his  second  year.  In  his 
third  year  he  desired  to  become  an  engineer,  and  he  is  now  a  student  in  an 
agricultural  college.  Three  girls  began  with  the  idea  of  going  to  college 
and  have  now  decided  to  attend  a  school  of  domestic  science. 

All  this  shows  that  the  continuity  has  not  been  very  pro- 
nounced. But  it  is  evident  that  for  many  the  question  has 
aroused  thought.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  girls  seem  to  be 
more  definite  in  their  choices.  This  is  readily  explained,  for  there 
are  fewer  fields  of  work  open  to  the  girls  than  to  the  boys.  In 
other  words,  the  boys  have  a  much  wider  choice  with  the  result 
of  much  change.  This  means  that  the  problem  is  a  more  difficult 
one  than  at  first  might  be  imagined. 


Table  No.  16. 


WHAT  WILL  YOUR  LIFE  WORK  BE? 


COLLEGE  VERY 

ESSENTIAL 


HIGH  SCHOOL 

DEMANDED 


PROFES- 
SIONAL 

ENGI- 
NEERING 
HTC. 


Medicine 

Clergy 

Dentistry 

Law 

Veterinary 

Consular  service 

Nursing 

Teaching 

1.  Administrative  work 

2.  Supervision 

3.  Professional  schools 

4.  Collegiate  work 

5.  Domestic  science  and  art 

6.  Agricultural  work 

7.  Elementary  work 

8.  High  School  work 
Dietitian 

Domestic  science— applied  work 
Mechanical  engineering 
Electrical  engineering 
Civil  engineering 
Sanitary  engineering 
Chemical  engineering 
Marine  engineering 
Architecture 

-andscape  gardening 

Dottery  and  ceramics 
Chemist 
Scientific  agriculture 

'cientific  forestry 
Scientific  horticulture 

'harmacy 

'hotography 

Music— instrumental  and  vocal 
Art— design,  illustrative 
Applied  domestic  art 

Literary— stories,  drama,  belleslettres 
T.ibrarian 


COLLEGE  FOR 

HIGHER  WORK 

SENIOR  HIGH 
SCHOOL  FOR  LESS 
IMPORTANT 

PLACES 

SENIOR  HIGH 
SCHOOL  IN  PART 
FOR  OTHERS 


BUSINESS 


SKILLED 
WORKMEN 


Various  stores 

Traveling  salesmen 

Stenographers 

Bookkeepers 

Bank  clerks 

Certified  public  accountants 

Banking 

Civil  service — postal  clerks 

Heads  of  departments  in  big  business 

Various  agencies — insurance 

Farmers 

Machinists 

Mechanics 

Carpenters 

Masons 

Plumbers 

Practical  electricians 

Harnessmakers  and  other  tradesmen 

Nurserymen 

Draughtsmen 

Stationary  engineers 

Railroad  engineers 

Telegraph  operators 

Navigators 

Brass   workers 

Moulders 

Pattern  makers 

Cabinet  makers 

Some  farmers 

Some  factory  hands 

Firemen 

Machine  hands 

Semi-carpenters 

Plumbers 

Other   tradesmen 

Chauffeurs 

Clerks 

Railroad  brakemen 
Ditch  diggers 
Day  laborers 
Some  factory  hands 

NOTE:     Those  professions  or  businesses  in  italics  require  collegiate 
training  or  professional  training  of  collegiate  grade. 


JUNIOR  HIGH 
SCHOOL  REQUIRED 

AT  LEAST  PART  OF 
A  SENIOR  HIGH 
SCHOOL  COURSE 
IS  HIGHLY  DESIR- 

SIRABLE. 


GRADE    WORK    RE- 
QUIRED. 

JUNIOR  HIGH 
SCHOOL    DESIR- 
ABLE. 


PARTLY 
SKILLED 
WORKMEN 


UNSKILLED 
WORKMEN 


50  A  STUDY 

2.     Methods  Used  to  Aid  the  Student  in  Making  a  Choice. 

In  other  parts  of  the  study,  mention  has  been  made  of  the 
use  of  speakers  who  appear  before  both  of  the  high  school  de- 
partments at  times,  to  tell  of  the  various  professions  and  voca- 
tions, and  of  the  efforts  of  the  faculty  in  their  respective  class 
rooms.  Mention  has  also  been  made  about  the  early  spring  regis- 
tration of  the  students  for  the  coming  year's  work.  Last  year 
the  principal  prepared  in  a  rather  superficial  way  the  following 
chart  to  be  used  at  these  times  of  registration. 

See  Two  Pages  Preceding 

One  of  .the  first  questions  asked  the  student  who  is  to  register 
is,  "What  are  your  plans  for  the  future?"  If  a  definite  answer 
is  forthcoming,  the  principal  discusses  with  him  the  work  se- 
lected to  help  him  to  see  the  significance  of  his  choice,  and  to 
learn  whether  there  is  really  a  deep  interest  in  the  kind  of  work 
chosen.  The  advice  given  is  governed  very  largely  by  the  answer 
to  this  question,  and  the  talent  the  student  has  displayed  in  his 
school  work  and  activities.  Many  a  time  this  conversation  lasts 
from  a  half  hour  to  an  hour,  particularly  when  the  student  is 
nearing  the  close  of  his  high  school  days.  If,  however,  the  stu- 
dent has  no  clear  cut  idea  of  what  he  wishes  to  do  in  the  future, 
there  is  one  idea  that  must  be  instilled  into  his  mind,  and  that 
is,  that  an  education  is  necessary  for  any  work  he  may 
wish  to  take  up.  At  this  juncture,  the  chart  is  made  use  of. 
The  boy  looks  it  over  and  sees  that  for  the  big  things  in  life,  in 
any  field  of  action,  there  is  a  distinct  demand  for  special  training. 
Besides,  the  various  occupations  mentioned  may  suggest  to  him 
something  he  would  like  to  do  in  the  future.  This  leads  to  a 
conversation  concerning  the  various  occupations,  vocations  and 
professions,  during  which  it  is  emphasized  that  there  is  no  true 
aristocracy  of  profession  or  vocation;  that  a  young  man  who 
has  the  talent  and  the  calling  to  be  a  farmer,  has  just  as  high  a 
calling  as  the  doctor,  the  lawyer,  or  the  engineer;  that 
the  whole  question  hinges  in  the  kind  of  a  farmer  he 


THE  FACULTY  51 

wishes  to  be.  A  good,  intelligent  farmer  is  a  much  more  val- 
uable asset  to  the  community  than  a  poor  lawyer,  preacher,  or 
physician.  The  same  may  be  said  of  any  other  vocation  or  pro- 
fession. Therefore,  the  solution  of  the  question  depends  upon 
learning  what  one  can  do  best,  and  not  upon  discerning  what  will 
apparently  sound  the  most  aristocratic.  During  the  whole  of  the 
conversation,  the  value  of  remaining  in  school  is  emphasized 
and  at  the  same  time  the  boy  is  set  thinking  to  discover  what  he 
can  do  best  and  would  most  like  to  do.  Then  a  year  is  given  him 
to  think  it  over,  and  another  year  at  registration  time,  the  prob- 
lem is  approached  again.  It  is  firmly  believed  that  this  sort  of 
conference  is  worth  every  bit  of  the  time  consumed  by  it,  and  that 
the  chart  is  a  valuable  aid.  The  greatest  help  that  can  be  found  in 
the  future  in  this  work,  is  the  enriched  junior  high  school  curricu- 
lum, which  will  make  it  possible  for  the  boys  and  the  girls  to  have 
a  taste  of  the  various  kinds  of  work  taught  in  the  school.  This 
will  reveal,  in  a  large  measure,  the  aptitudes  of  the  students  and 
give  a  firm  basis  on  which  to  advise  them  in  the  future. 


IX.     THE  FACULTY. 

/.     Their  Number,  Training  and  Method  of  Election. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  seventeen  members  of  the 
faculty  of  whom  two  are  men  and  fifteen  women.  One  woman 
has  charge  of  the  kindergarten,  six  are  in  charge  of  the  six 
grades,  and  seven  women  and  one  man  have  charge  of  the  classes 
of  the  junior  high  school  and  the  senior  high  school.  There  is 
one  special  teacher  in  charge  of  the  music  and  drawing  taught 
throughout  the  school.  The  principal  teaches  but  two  high 
school  classes,  the  remainder  of  his  time  being  devoted  to  super- 
vision of  the  work  of  the  school,  personal  work  with  the  students, 
and  in  keeping  the  records  and  administering  the  work  of  the 
school.  In  the  latter  phase  of  his  work  he  is  aided  by  the  kinder- 


52  A  STUDY 

gartner  each  afternoon,  her  department  being  in  session  in  the 
forenoon  only. 

Conducting  the  work  above  the  first  six  grades  on  the 
departmental  plan  makes  it  possible  for  each  teacher  to  have 
charge  of  a  special  department.  In  the  matter  of  hiring  teachers 
this  plan  aids  very  much,  for  a  teacher  who  has  made  special 
preparation  in  one  line  of  work  is  engaged  to  take  charge  of  that 
department. 

Teachers  are  hired  by  the  Board  of  Education  upon  the 
recommendation  of  the  Teachers'  Committee  composed  of  three 
members  of  the  Board,  and  the  principal.  The  attitude  of  the 
Board  of  Education  on  the  question  of  hiring  teachers  has 
been  to  hold  the  principal  responsible  for  the  educational  and 
professional  qualifications  of  all  applicants,  while  they  deter- 
mine what  salary  can  be  paid,  and  pass  upon  the  personality 
of  the  candidates.  In  this  way,  teachers  well  equipped  for  their 
work  and  of  fine  personality  are  engaged.  One  qualification 
every  applicant  must  have  is  refinement  and  culture.  This  fea- 
ture of  a  prospective  teacher  cannot  be  overlooked,  for  educa- 
tors have  come  to  realize  the  tremendous  suggestive  power  a 
teacher  has  over  the  pupils. 

A  difficulty  experienced  is  the  lack  of  sufficient  money  to  se- 
cure first-class  teachers  of  experience.  It  has  become  the  policy 
of  the  Board  of  Education  to  employ  in  the  high  school,  teachers 
of  promise  without  experience  rather  than  to  employ  those  of 
experience  who  are  not  first  rate.  This  policy  has  proved 
wise,  for  the  teachers  of  the  past  three  years  have  almost  without 
exception  been  most  successful.  When  a  young  teacher  has 
proved  her  worth,  her  salary  is  increased  regularly  in  order  to 
retain  her.  In  this  matter  the  school  has  been  very  successful 
of  late  years. 

For  the  grade  positions  only  normal  graduates  are  con- 
sidered. For  the  high  school  positions  a  college  education  is  a 
requirement.  At  the  present  time  there  are  employed  on  the 
faculty  ten  normal  graduates,  five  college  graduates,  a  graduate 


THE  FACULTY  53 

from  a  special  music  and  drawing  course,  and  one  of  a  high 
class  commercial  school. 

The  growth  in  the  numbers  of  teachers  has  been  gradual. 
In  1883  there  were  eight  teachers  employed,  and  each  one  of 
them  was  overworked.  A  grade  teacher  was  added  in  1892.  The 
next  year  a  high  school  assistant  was  elected.  In  1898  another 
teacher  was  added  to  the  faculty  and  one  more  the  next  year.  In 
1902  a  special  teacher  for  music  and  drawing  was  engaged. 
Three  years  later,  another  teacher  was  added  for  a  half  year. 
The  following  year,  in  her  place  was  elected  a  man  to  teach  the 
science.  In  1912  a  kindergarten  teacher  was  added,  the  next  year 
a  commercial  teacher,  and  a  year  following,  another  high  school 
assistant  were  employed. 


2.     Salaries. 

The  salaries  paid  the  teachers  during  the  history  of  the 
school  is  shown  by  graph  number  6.  The  graph  for  the  high 
school  teachers  does  not  include  the  salaries  of  the  men.  This 
will  show  a  steady  increase  per  teacher  since  1894.  But  this 
must  not  be  interpreted  as  meaning  that  the  real  wages  of  the 
teachers  have  increased.  A  committee  of  the  National  Educa- 
tion Association  known  as  the  Committee  on  Teachers'  Salaries 
and  Cost  of  Living  has,  after  an  exhaustive  investigation,  shown 
that  the  cost  of  living  for  teachers  since  1896  has  increased  50%. 
This  is  represented  on  the  graph  by  the  dotted  lines  slanting  up- 
ward and  to  the  right.  Thus  it  is  seen  that  in  reality,  the  teachers 
of  twenty  years  ago  were  better  paid  than  now.  In  other 
words,  the  teachers'  real  wages  have  been  decreased.  But 
this  is  not  a  condition  peculiar  to  Dansville.  It  is  nation  wide, 
but  it  is  a  problem  that  must  be  met  squarely  if  we 
are  to  attract  to  our  schools  the  men  and  women  of  the  right 
type  to  guide  the  children  of  the  nation.  But  this  is  not  the 
worst  phase.  It  would  be  bad  enough  if  the  qualifications  for 
teachers  were  the  same  for  these  years.  This  is  not  the  case,  how- 


15  I  -VI  6  I 


ZI-II6I 

II-OI6/ 

01-606  I 

€-8061 

8  -/Q6l 


"S  -   1061 
J    -00  01 

00-6691 
f-9691 

8-JL68I 


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I 


ir? 


3T 


TS7T 


-S.J, 


^ 


w        *— 

1.1 


NOTE:  Directions  for  reading  graphs  are  found  on  page  109. 


THE  FACULTY  55 

ever.  Twenty  years  ago  a  normal  graduate  who  received  her 
diploma  after  four  years  of  work  beyond  the  grades,  was  the 
teacher  in  the  high  school.  Today  the  normal  graduate  teaches, 
as  a  rule,  only  in  the  grades,  but  to  be  a  normal  graduate,  six 
years  of  work  beyond  the  grades  is  necessary.  For  high  school 
positions,  teachers  must  be  college  graduates.  This  means  eight 
years  of  work  beyond  the  grades,  four  years  of  which  are  spent  in 
a  college  where  a  high  tuition  must  be  paid  and  where  the  cost 
of  living  is  high.  So  we  see  that  the  teachers  of  today  are  not 
paid  in  proportion  to  what  they  were  twenty  years  ago. 

In  consulting  the  graph  for  the  high  school  teachers'  salar- 
ies, it  will  be  observed  that  there  was  a  slump  in  salaries  about 
1906.  This  was  caused  by  the  hiring  of  a  man  to  teach  the 
sciences,  who  displaced  a  high  salaried  woman. 

j.     Professional  Spirit. 

The  professional  spirit  of  the  faculty  is  excellent.  Each 
teacher  takes  a  visiting  day  each  year  at  her  own  expense,  but  is 
allowed  her  time  by  the  Board  of  Education.  At  the  present  time, 
a  round  table  and  magazine  club  is  in  a  prosperous  condition. 
The  magazines  are  all  professional  and  have  been  paid  for  by  a 
tax  levied  by  the  teachers  on  their  salaries,  of  one  tenth  of  one 
per  cent.  Once  a  month  the  teachers  come  together  to  talk  over 
what  they  have  read  of  interest  in  these  magazines,  and  to  dis- 
cuss the  educational  problems  of  the  school.  Usually  at  these 
meetings,  some  members  of  the  faculty  serve  tea  and  wafers. 
This  results  in  a  fine  spirit  among  the  teachers  and  a  keen  inter- 
est in  the  work  of  the  school. 

4.     The  Principal  as  Supervisor  of  the  Work  of  the  School. 

The  supervisory  work  of  the  principal  is  a  most  vital  factor 
in  a  school  where  there  is  at  least  one  teacher  for  each  grade,  and 
several  for  the  high  school  subjects.  There  must  be  a  master  to 
see  that  the  work  of  one  teacher  articulates  with  that  of  another. 


56  A  STUDY 

Without  such  a  leader  a  faculty  consisting  of  the  best  of  teachers 
will  waste  much  time  and  effort,  while  the  children  may  become 
confused  by  the  breaches  in  the  continuity  of  the  work,  and  by 
the  different  methods  of  the  various  teachers. 

In  this  regard  the  school  has  erred.  She  has  expected  her 
principal  to  do  almost  as  much  teaching  as  some  of  the  teachers, 
to  do  the  office  and  administrative  work  of  the  school,  and  to 
spend  what  little  time  remains  in  supervising  the  work  of  the 
school.  On  an  average,  the  last  three  principals  have  been  teach- 
ing four  subjects — up  to  a  year  ago.  This  work  has  been  done 
well,  as  is  shown  by  the  excellent  results  in  the  branches  taught  by 
them.  The  administrative  and  office  work  has  been  done  well, 
but  the  supervisory  work  has  been  neglected  because  there  is  a 
limit  to  one's  efforts  imposed  by  time  and  by  one's  store  of  energy. 
Every  principal  has  found  himself  completely  busy  with  the  work 
of  the  academic  department  alone.  He  would  be  kept  profitably 
busy  were  the  grades  removed  entirely  from  his  jurisdiction. 
This  lack  of  supervision  in  the  grades  is  a  very  serious  fault.  If 
one  department  needs  the  principal's  services  more  than  another, 
it  is  that  of  the  grades.  They  give  to  many  all  the  schooling  they 
are  to  receive.  They  prepare  the  others  for  the  academic  depart- 
ment, and  if  such  preparation  is  not  thorough,  it  will  cause  an  un- 
desirable harvest. 

There  is  an  honest  attempt  to  remedy  this  fault.  The  Board 
of  Education  has  made  it  possible  for  the  present  principal  to 
have  help  in  his  clerical  work  each  afternoon  school  is  in  session. 
He  has  been  permitted  to  reduce  his  teaching  to  two  subjects  per 
day.  This  enables  him  to  give  more  time  to  supervision,  and  to 
personal  conferences  with  both  teachers  and  students.  With  the 
addition  of  new  departments,  it  is  a  serious  question  whether  the 
principal  ought  to  do  any  teaching  at  all,  but  rather  should  spend 
his  entire  time  with  the  teachers,  the  students,  the  various  depart- 
ments and  the  school  as  a  whole.  Perhaps  the  personal  help 
given  the  discouraged,  the  prodding  given  the  indolent,  and  talks 
to  the  indifferent  might  cause  many  students  to  remain  in  school 
who  otherwise  drop  out. 


THE  PARENTS  57 

The  supervision  of  the  school  has  not  been  developed  as  sys- 
tematically and  efficiently  as  it  should  be.  This  matter  needs  im- 
mediate attention. 


X.     THE  PARENTS. 

The  first  year  of  the  present  principal's  administration,  he 
found  that  there  was  but  little  visible  interest  on  the  part  of  the 
parents  in  the  school.  There  was,  however,  a  silent  and  dormant 
interest  which  did  not  manifest  itself  to  any  extent.  This  was 
not  a  healthy  condition  of  affairs,  for  the  pupils  gain  the  most 
from  the  school  when  there  is  a  close  understanding  between  the 
faculty  and  the  parents.  There  must  be  a  live  and  visible  interest 
on  the  part  of  the  parents.  To  gain  this  there  have  been  four 
methods  used : 

1.  Publicity  through  the  press. 

2.  Handbooks  printed  and  distributed  by  the  Board  of  Education. 

3.  Reports  and  notices  sent  the  parents. 

4.  Meetings  of  the  parents  held  in  the  school  house. 

The  first  of  these  has  not  been  used  to  any  great  extent  of 
late.  It  has  been  used  only  to  show  in  a  small  way  the  value  of 
an  education,  to  announce  the  formation  of  new  departments,  to 
show  the  reason  for  their  establishment  and  to  draw  attention 
to  the  fact  that  there  is  a  public  school  in  session  in  the  village, 
trying  to  accomplish  results.  This  method  is  perhaps  the  weakest 
of  the  four. 

The  use  of  the  handbooks  is  valuable.  Parents  can  show 
an  active  interest  only  when  they  understand  the  way  the  work 
of  the  school  is  carried  on,  what  they  can  do  to  aid  the  students, 
and  what  is  the  course  of  study  for  the  higher  work.  Beginning 
with  the  year  1911-12  handbooks  have  been  printed  each  year. 
They  attempt  to  give  the  very  information  that  will  awaken 
the  parents'  interest  in  the  school.  In  1912-13  a  handbook 
for  the  parents  was  prepared  especially  with  this  point  in 


58  A  STUDY 

view.  The  following  year,  besides  a  students'  handbook  a  report 
made  by  the  principal  to  the  Board  of  Education  was  printed  for 
distribution  among  the  parents.  The  value  of  this  is  evi- 
denced by  the  interest  the  parents  show  in  keeping  the  children 
in  school  and  in  holding  them  to  their  home  study.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  note  that  when  the  school  was  graduating  its  largest  classes, 
there  was  printed  each  year  a  catalog  or  a  handbook  for  the  use 
of  the  students  and  the  parents.  When  these  were  not  pub- 
lished, there  seemed  to  be  a  slump  in  the  attendance.  The  entire 
credit  for  the  large  classes  must  not  be  given  to  these  publications, 
yet  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  they  made  a  contribution. 

For  several  years  report  cards  recording  the  progress  of 
the  students  have  been  sent  at  regular  intervals  during  the  year  to 
the  parents  for  their  signature.  Recently  this  has  been  supple- 
mented by  notices  which  are  sent  the  parents,  when  occasion  de- 
mands, calling  their  attention  to  the  fact  that,  unless  the  student's 
work  improves  immediately,  the  student  will  undoubtedly  fail 
in  his  work.  This  pressure  usually  brings  to  pass  more  conscien- 
tious home  work  on  the  part  of  the  student. 

Perhaps  the  most  potent  method  is  the  parents'  meetings. 
These  have  been  held  more  spasmodically  than  they  should  be. 
They  have  been  held  so  far  only  for  those  who  have  children 
in  the  junior  or  the  senior  high  school.  This  year  a 
meeting  of  the  parents  of  the  children  just  entering  the  senior 
high  school  was  held.  At  this  meeting,  the  entering  class 
was  present  and  served  refreshments  and  conducted  the 
social  side  of  the  occasion  as  though  it  was  their  reception  to 
their  parents  and  the  faculty.  A  talk  was  given  to  the  parents, 
telling  just  what  is  expected  of  the  student,  in  order  that  he 
may  be  successful  in  his  new  work.  An  outline  of  the  course 
of  study  was  given,  and  reasons  were  set  forth  as  to  why  the 
high  school  course  is  valuable  to  all,  regardless  of  what  work 
the  student  wishes  to  follow.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  so 
far  this  year,  this  class  has  done  better  work  than  has-  any  enter- 
ing class  in  the  memory  of  the  writer.  Due  notice  must  be  taken 


MORAL  EDUCATION  59 

in  connection  with  this  that  the  class  is  perhaps  a  better  one  than 
the  average  yet  there  is  a  uniformity  of  work  that  has  not  been 
noted  before.  At  the  close  of  this  meeting  the  parents  were  shown 
through  the  building. 

A  year  ago,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  gymnasium  in  honor 
of  the  opening  of  the  new  addition  to  the  school.  At  the  time, 
the  people  of  the  village  were  shown  through  the  building,  were 
made  acquainted  with  the  teachers,  saw  the  children  at  work  in 
the  various  departments  of  the  school,  and  heard  two  stirring  ad- 
dresses by  Dr.  Rush  Rhees,  the  President  of  the  University  of 
Rochester,  and  Mr.  Herbert  S.  Weet,  the  Superintendent  of 
Schools  of  Rochester.  Many  parents  who  had  never  been  in  the 
school  before  were  present  at  this  meeting.  The  only  criticism 
that  can  be  offered  is  that  there  are  not  more  of  such  meetings 
as  these. 


XI.     MORAL  EDUCATION. 

There  are  four  distinct  ways  of  teaching  morals  in  a  school. 

1.  Through  religious  teaching. 

2.  Through  formal  instruction  in  morals. 

3.  Indirectly  through  the  silent  influence  of  the  teacher's  life  and  the 
class  room. 

4.  Through  play  under  supervision  of  a  competent  supervisor. 

No  one  of  these  alone  can  give  the  best  results.  Each  has  its 
weakness.  The  first  is  used  to  a  large  extent* in  the  German 
schools,  where  it  has  shown  itself  to  be  no  panacea  for  moral 
evils,  though  it  has  shown  itself  valuable.  The  second  has  a 
fixed  place  in  the  curriculum  of  the  French  schools,  and  none  are 
ready  to  say  that  the  French  have  solved  the  moral  problem.  The 
third  is,  and  has  been,  the  only  way  used  in  the  American  public 
schools  with  but  few  exceptions,  and  the  schoolmasters  of  the 
country  cry  out  that  the  problem  of  moral  education  is  one  of 
the  greatest,  if  not  the  greatest  in  the  land.  The  fourth  is  a  new 
method,  comparatively  speaking.  Its  philosophy  is  that  under 


60  A  STUDY 

•& 

guidance  the  child  learns  the  lesson  of  fair  play  to  the  other 
citizens  of  his  play  world.  The  value  of  this  method  is  empha- 
sized by  those  who  have  tried  it,  notably  by  the  Superintendent 
of  Schools  of  Rochester,  Herbert  S.  Weet. 

In  Dansville  something  ought  to  be  done  besides  the  third.  It 
is  impossible  for  a  school  supported  by  the  people  through  taxa- 
tion, to  teach  religion  in  the  school,  because  of  the  sharp  division 
of  opinion  as  to  what  is  correct  theology,  and  what  is  not.  This 
phase  must  be  left  to  the  church.  The  problem,  therefore,  is  not 
for  the  school  but  for  the  church.  There  is  a  growing  sentiment 
among  those  in  the  teaching  profession,  that  the  churches 
ought  to  give  religious  instruction  during  the  school  week  when, 
for  a  period  of  two  hours,  the  children  may  go  to  their  churches 
to  receive  instruction  in  their  respective  religions,  whether  they 
be  Jew,  Roman  Catholic,  Greek  Catholic,  Baptist,  Presbyterian, 
Methodist,  or  what  not.  This  is  a  problem  that  will  soon  have  to 
be  met  throughout  the  nation. 

It  seems  to  be  generally  conceded  by  the  profession  at  large, 
that  formal  moral  instruction  has  but  little  value.  This  work 
must  be  done  indirectly.  For  example,  the  teacher  of  history 
may  give  morai  lessons  by  suggesting  the  effect  of  certain  im- 
moral acts,  but  not  by  moralizing  or  sermonizing.  This  indirect 
method  is  used  in  a  limited  sense  in  the  high  school  and  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  in  the  grades  through  reading  and  language 
lessons. 

Under  the  discussion  of  the  Faculty,  it  was  pointed  out  that 
care  is  taken  in  the  selection  of  teachers  that  their  silent  influence 
may  make  for  the  best  socially  and  morally.  The  school  is  mak- 
ing use  of  this  method  of  giving  a  moral  education  to  the  greatest 
extent  of  its  ability. 

The  fourth  method  has  not  been  attempted  at  all  until  tms 
year.  One  member  of  the  high  school  faculty,  Miss  Avadna  G. 
Loomis,  who  has  had  much  experience  in  this  method  of  teaching 
morality  through  the  development  of  the  spirit  of  fair  play  on  the 
playgrounds  of  the  city  of  Rochester,  has  done  much  good  work 


PHYSICAL  EDUCATION  61 

among  the  girls  of  the  junior  high  school  and  the  senior  high 
school.  Each  grade  teacher  has  a  half  hour  per  week  in  the  gym- 
nasium with  her  pupils,  but  her  work  has  been  mainly  to  keep 
order  during  the  play  period.  An  attempt  should  be  made  to 
instruct  these  teachers  how  to  conduct  the  play  of  their  children 
so  as  to  bring  out  the  moral  side.  There  is  a  distinct  need  of  a  man 
on  the  faculty  who  can  take  charge  of  the  larger  boys  and  the 
young  men  of  the  school  in  their  games  and  athletics  that  the 
moral  side  of  the  sport  may  be  developed.  With  the  development 
of  the  first  as  suggested,  and  the  last,  there  ought  to  be  a  great 
improvement  in  the  moral  training  and  character  building  of  the 
students. 


XII.     PHYSICAL  EDUCATION. 

The  physical  side  of  the  child's  education  has  been  sadly 
neglected  in  Dansville.  When  the  location  was  selected  for  the 
new  school  building  in  1883,  the  thought  of  having  a  play  ground 
was  not  given  any  consideration.  Since  that  date  a  lot  of  about  */2 
an  acre  has  been  added  to  the  school  grounds  which  has  tended  to 
relieve  matters  somewhat,  but  the  village  has  improved  the  old 
square  formerly  used  as  a  play  ground,  and  now  the  children  are 
forbidden  to  use  it  lest  its  beauty  be  marred.  The  result  is  that 
the  four  hundred  and  more  students  have  8/10  of  an  acre  on 
which  to  play  their  games  of  baseball,  football,  etc.  This  play 
ground  is  far  from  being  large  enough. 

Until  the  addition  to  the  school  was  built,  there  was  no  place 
for  the  children  to  play  during  the  winter  months.  Since  then, 
the  large  gymnasium  has  met  that  need.  There  is  one  long 
court  for  basketball  and  two  short  courts. 

The  lack  of  proper  facilities  for  physical  exercise  has 
brought  about  a  condition  of  lethargy  in  sports  and  games.  It 
is  a  rare  thing  to  see  more  than  a  dozen  boys  on  the  gymnasium 
floor  at  once,  and  a  rarer  thing  to  see  more  than  twenty  on  the 
play  ground  engaged  in  a  game.  In  other  words,  the  pupils  of 


62  A  STUDY 

the  school  are  not  getting  the  play  that  is  necessary  for  their 
physical  development,  the  play  that  nature  requires  for  her  full 
manifestation  in  the  future  man  or  woman.  No  better  illustra- 
tion of  this  lethargy  can  be  found  than  in  the  fact  that  a  year 
ago  the  high  school  had  a  most  difficult  time  to  maintain  a  bas- 
ketball team  which  requires  only  five  players.  And  this  team 
played  four  games,  every  one  of  which  was  lost.  In  the  past 
three  years,  the  teams  have  received  practically  no  coaching  and 
no  direction  by  the  faculty,  simply  because  they  have  been  so 
busy  with  the  intellectual  side  of  the  school  life  that  they  have 
had  no  time  for  this  work. 

As  was  stated  under  the  topic,  moral  education,  there  has 
been  no  attempt,  save  one,  with  the  larger  girls  to  the  developing 
of  a  moral  training  and  to  building  up  of  the  characters  of  our 
students  through  the  medium  of  directed  play.  There  are  constant 
complaints  received  at  the  office,  of  fighting  among  the  smaller 
boys  and  girls  when  on  their  way  home.  They  seem  to  be  in  their 
element  when  they  can  chase  home  some  timid  youngster,  and 
obscene  and  profane  language  is  not  uncommon.  If  this  energy 
were  worked  off  on  the  play  ground  or  in  the  gymnasium,  per- 
haps these  objectionable  features  might  be  eradicated.  Perhaps, 
through  directed  play,  a  better  code  of  chivalry  and  morals  would 
be  developed.  The  two  great  ends  of  play  have  been  ignored, 
the  development  of  the  physical  and  the  development  of  the  moral. 
This  demands  immediate  attention.  There  should  be  a  larger 
play  ground,  and  a  member  of  the  faculty  to  direct  the  play  of 
the  children  that  the  duality  of  ends  may  be  gained. 


XHI.     MEDICAL  INSPECTION. 

Last  year  saw  the  beginning  of  medical  inspection  of  school 
children  throughout  the  state.  But  it  has  been  most  generally 
admitted  that  the  law  and  the  plan  for  its  enforcement  have  many 
grave  errors  that  should  be  corrected.  Therefore  its  enforcement 
has  been  largely  a  farce.  Before  this  law  can  accomplish  what 


COMPULSOR  Y  ED  UCA  TION  LA  W  63 

it  is  intended  to  accomplish,  each  school  district  must  have  a 
school  physician  whose  duty  it  will  be  to  examine  at  public  expense 
every  child  in  the  school.  This  must  be  followed  up  by  notices 
sent  to  the  parents,  of  the  defects  found,  and  by  the  recommenda- 
tion that  they  consult  their  family  physicians  at  once.  Better  yet 
would  be  the  plan  to  engage  a  trained  nurse  for  at  least  a  part  of 
the  time,  to  visit  the  parents  of  the  unsound  pupils,  to  make  clear 
to  them  what  has  been  found  and  the  need  of  immediate  treat- 
ment. In  addition  to  his  duties  as  an  examiner,  the  physician 
should  be  engaged  to  examine  every  child  whom  any  teacher  sus- 
pects of  being  in  ill  health.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  this  law  will  be 
amended,  or  else  interpreted  in  such  a  way  in  the  future,  as  to 
compel  each  school  in  the  state  to  take  every  precaution  to  pro- 
tect the  children  it  serves. 

XIV.  ENFORCEMENT  OF  THE  COMPULSORY  EDUCATION  LAW. 

The  State  Education  Law  compels  the  attendance  of  all  chil- 
dren between  the  ages  of  eight  and  fourteen  while  school  is  in 
session ;  and  the  attendance  of  those  between  fourteen  and  sixteen 
who  have  not  secured  a  work  certificate  and  regular  employment. 
The  law  is  well  enforced  in  this  school  district.  The  Board  of  Edu- 
cation has  appointed  as  truant  officer  one  of  the  village  constables 
who  visits  the  union  school  and  the  parochial  schools  each  morning 
that  school  is  in  session.  At  the  time  of  his  visit,  he  is  informed 
of  all  absences  and  the  reasons  for  such,  if  known.  If,  any  of 
these  are  illegal  he  visits  the  homes  to  warn  the  parents  of  the 
violation  of  the  law.  The  efficiency  of  the  work  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  in  three  years  there  has  not  been  occasion  for  the  arrest 
of  a  parent  or  guardian  of  a  child  in  school.  (See  page  44)  Last 
year  there  were  66  children  of  school  age  attending  St.  Patrick's 
School,  118  attending  St.  Mary's  and  220  attending  the  Union 
School,  making  a  total  of  404  children  of  school  age,  residing  in 
the  school  district  who  were  attending  school.  The  census  of 
school  children  in  the  district  showed  416  children  of  school  age. 
This  gives  a  per  cent  of  97.1  of  such  who  are  attending  school. 


64 


A  STUDY 


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NOTE  :  Directions  for  reading  graphs  are  found  on  page  109. 


/9/2V3 


COMPULSOR  Y  ED  UCA  TION  LA  W  65 

The  2.9%  who  are  not  attending  consists  of  those  who  have  work 
certificates  and  are  employed,  and  those  whose  physical  condition 
will  not  permit  attendance. 

Closely  connected  with  non-attendance  is  tardiness  which  the 
State  Department  interprets  as  absence.  For  the  past  three  years 
an  uncompromising  warfare  has  been  waged  in  the  union  school 
upon  this  habit  of  tardiness,  into  which  very  many  of  the  chil- 
dren had  fallen.  At  first  each  individual  grade  and  study  hall 
teacher  took  note  of  the  tardinesses  of  the  children  in  her  charge. 
These  teachers  made  a  conscientious  effort  to  check  the  habit, 
but  in  spite  of  this,  the  decrease  was  not  what  it  ought  to  have 
been.  As  a  final  measure,  every  pupil  from  the  kindergarten 
through  the  high  school  who  is  tardy  has  to  report  to  the  prin- 
cipal who  makes  it  a  point  to  see  that  such  visits  to  the  office  are 
not  particularly  enjoyable  occasions.  The  results  of  these  efforts 
will  be  seen  by  consulting  graph  number  7,  where  is  shown  a 
marked  decrease.  The  number  given  for  each  month  is  not  the 
actual  number  of  tardinesses,  but  rather  the  number  on  the  basis 
of  400  children  in  school  for  a  month  of  20  days.  This  makes  it 
possible  to  compare  the  tardinesses  of  the  various  months  and 
years.  If  this  were  not  done,  the  years  with  the  lowest  registra- 
tion would  appear  as  the  best,  and  the  months  with  the  fewest 
number  of  days  of  school,  such  as  June,  would  appear  almost 
model. 

The  tardiness  problem  is  not  solved  as  yet,  however.  The 
parents  are  often  more  at  fault  than  the  children.  A  very  fre- 
quent excuse  for  tardiness  is,  "I  had  to  do  an  errand  this  morn- 
ing." Invariably  these  tardinesses  amount  to  no  more  than  a 
few  minutes.  It  seems  strange  that  when  the  parent  has  the  child 
nineteen  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four,  the  five  remaining  hours 
must  be  encroached  upon.  It  is  only  an  indication  of  the  power 
of  habit.  The  parents  have  it  and  force  it  upon  the  children. 
This  interpretation  seems  warranted  when  it  is  observed  that 
children  of  certain  families  are  never  late,  unless  for  some  rea- 
son beyond  control.  It  is  doubted  whether  the  tardiness  can  be 
reduced  much  below  that  of  this  year. 


66  A  STUDY 

XV.     THE  WIDER  USE   OF  THE   SCHOOL  PLANT. 

1.  In  a  General  Way. 

These  are  days  when  the  school  plant  is  used  for  other  things 
than  to  give  instruction  to  children  between  the  hours  of  8 :45  A. 
M.  and  4:00  P.  M.  In  the  cities  the  school  houses  are  used  for 
night  schools,  social  centers  which  are  both  educational  and  rec- 
reational in  character,  voting  places  at  elections,  and  for  various 
other  purposes.  This  wider  use  of  the  school  plant  has  not  as  yet 
reached  the  villages  under  5,000  inhabitants,  except  in  very 
rare  instances.  Dansville  has  made  a  beginning  in  this  direc- 
tion. For  the  past  three  years,  there  have  been  occasional 
lectures  for  the  public,  touching  upon  the  health  and  hygiene  of 
the  individual,  forestry,  and  other  subjects  of  interest  to  the 
people  and  the  students.  Beside  these,  there  have  been  held 
for  the  past  two  years  a  series  of  meetings  in  March  by  the 
Department  of  Agriculture,  in  which  instruction  is  given  in  rural 
subjects  and  home  making.  These  have  been  very  popular  with 
the  towns'  people  as  well  as  with  the  farmers  of  the  country  side. 
This  year  the  College  of  Agriculture  at  Cornell  University  held 
an  extension  school  for  one  week  in  which  instruction  was  given 
in  plant  pathology,  soils,  poultry  and  home  making.  The  atten- 
dance at  this  school  was  46  men  and  52  women  who  attended  ses- 
sions lasting  from  9:00  in  the  morning  until  4:00  in  the  after- 
noon. Of  this  number  there  were  10  nurserymen  in  attendance 
who  live  in  the  village. 

But  the  greatest  advance  was  made  in  the  establish  of  a  night 
school. 

2.  The  Night  School. 

For  sometime  there  has  been  a  feeling  on  the  part  of  the 
school  authorities  that  there  ought  to  be  a  night  school  in  Dans- 
ville. Finally,  at  the  regular  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion for  the  month  of  October,  the  principal  presented  a  report 
showing  how  a  night  school  might  be  operated  without  cost  to 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT          67 

the  tax  payers.  The  trouble  had  been  that  there  was  no  appro- 
priation to  maintain  such  a  school,  hence  the  plan  had  to  provide 
for  self-maintenance.  The  plan,  to  state  it  briefly,  is  essentially 
as  follows : 

1.  The  school  would  not  be   started  until   a  registration  of  twenty 
was  secured. 

2.  The  cost  of  heating  and  lighting  was  estimated  for  an  evening,  to 
which  was  added  the  salary  for  the  teachers  and  the  janitor.     This  sum 
was  divided  by  twenty  which  gave  the  tuition  for  one  evening. 

3.  The  school  meets  Mondays,  Tuesdays  and  Thursdays  of  each  week 
that  the  day  school  is  in  session.     Considering  four  weeks  to  the  month, 
this  means  twelve  evening  sessions  constitutes  a  night  school  month.    Mul- 
tiplying the  tuition  for  one  day  by  twelve,  gives  a  product  of  $3.75  which 
is  the  tuition  per  month. 

4.  School  opens  each  night  at  7:30  and  closes  at  9:15.     This  time  is 
divided  into  three  periods,  between  each  of  which  there  is  an  intermission 
of  five  minutes  for  the  rearrangement  of  classes. 

5.  The  courses  taught  are  shorthand,  typewriting,  commercial  English, 
commercial  arithmetic  and  elementary  bookkeeping. 

6.  At  the  close  of  the  session,  if  any  money  remains  after  all  ex- 
penses are  paid,  it  is  to  be  returned  to  the  students  on  the  basis  of  the 
number  of  months  they  paid  tuition. 

7.  As  soon  as  the  tuition  receipts  are  not  great  enough  to  meet  the 
expenses  of  the  school,  the  sessions  stop  automatically. 

This  report  was  adopted  unanimously  by  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation, and  a  committee  of  two  of  the  Board  were  appointed  to 
act  with  the  principal  to  conduct  the  school.  Advertisements  were 
printed  immediately  announcing  the  proposed  formation  of  the 
school,  November  16.  On  that  date  there  were  twenty-nine  peo- 
ple registered  and  since  then,  the  registration  has  jumped  to  38. 
There  are  three  teachers  engaged.  Mr.  Ralph  W.  Clements  has 
charge  of  the  bookkeeping  and  arithmetic  and  acts  as  principal 
of  the  school  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Foster.  Miss  Mary 
L.  Sherman  has  charge  of  the  shorthand  and  typewriting  and 
Miss  Barbara  A.  MacLeod  the  commercial  English.  All  are 
members  of  the  day  school  faculty.  They  receive  a  salary  at  the 
rate  of  $1.00  per  hour  of  teaching. 

The  school,  up  to  the  time  of  writing,  has  proved  to  be  a 


68  A  STUDY 

great  success.  The  attendance  has  been  excellent,  there  have  been 
but  few  who  have  dropped  out,  and  the  earnestness  of  the  stu- 
dents is  greater  than  one  would  think.  Another  year  the  school 
ought  to  be  continued  on  broader  lines.  Not  only  should  there 
be  subjects  of  interest  to  the  young  people,  but  there  ought  to 
be  subjects  taught  by  the  lecture  method  that  are  of  interest  to 
the  young  business  man.  Courses  in  agriculture  and  nursery 
work,  home-making  and  mechanical  drawing  ought  to  be  given. 
Perhaps  it  is  too  great  a  burden  to  ask  the  students  to  meet  all 
expenses.  The  Board  of  Education  might  profitably  furnish  the 
building  lighted,  heated  and  cared  for,  and  leave  it  for  the  stu- 
dents to  pay  tuition  sufficient  to  meet  the  salaries  of  the  teachers. 
Under  no  circumstances  would  it  be  recommended  that  the  Board 
should  do  more  than  this,  for  the  payment  of  tuition  by  the  stu- 
dents causes  them  to  strive  to  get  something  out  of  the  work, 
hence  the  air  of  seriousness  and  industry  that  we  have  this  year. 

j.     The  Future. 

There  is  an  unlimited  field  for  expansion  in  this  wider  use 
of  the  school  plant.  Just  how  much  farther  it  is  wise  to  go  is 
an  uncertainty.  There  has  been  a  keen  agitation  on  the  part  of 
some  of  the  young  ladies  of  the  village  to  have  the  gymnasium 
opened  evenings  as  a  recreational  center.  The  fact  that  there 
are.no  dressing  rooms,  and  no  toilet  facilities,  except  those  up 
stairs  on  the  grade  floor,  made  it  impossible  for  the  Board  of 
Education  to  so  open  the  gymnasium  this  year. 


XVI.     FINANCES. 

i.     The  Cause  of  the  High  Tax  Rate. 

A  comparison  of  the  money  expended  by  the  people  of  Dans- 
ville  for  their  school  for  each  of  the  past  four  years,  is  made  by 
means  of  graph  number  8.  The  circles  are  drawn  to  scale  accord- 
ing to  the  amount  they  represent.  Thus,  the  year  ending  1912 


FINANCES  69 

shows  the  least  expenditure  and  is  thereby  represented  by  the 
smallest  circle.  The  angles  of  expenditure  are  drawn  according 
to  the  ratio  of  the  amount  expended  for  a  particular  purpose  to 
the  total  amount  expended  for  the  year.  For  the  years  ending 
1911,  1912  and  1913,  the  expenditure  for  teachers'  wages  is  more 
than  half  the  total  expenditure.  In  1913  the  amount  is  just  a 
little  more  than  half,  while  in  1914  it  is  much  less  than  half.  This 
is  due  to  the  erection  of  the  new  building  and  the  purchase  of 
furniture  and  equipment  for  it.  Under  normal  conditions,  the 
amount  expended  for  teachers  ought  to  be  at  least  sixty  per  cent. 
This  means  that  in  the  future  the  amount  expended  ought  to 
decrease  unless  new  departments  are  added  to  the  school. 
The  tax  rate  for  the  past  four  years  has  been  as  follows : 

Table  No.  17. 

Year  ending  1912 $  7.18  on  the  Thousand 

Year  ending  1913  7.61  on  the  Thousand 

Year  ending  1914 10.55  on  the  Thousand 

Year  ending  1915 11.70  on  the  Thousand 

The  cause  of  this  increase  in  tax  rate  is  found  readily  by 
studying  the  graph  of  the  expenditures  for  the  last  four  years. 
Up  to  the  year  ending  1914,  the  rate  was  very  low.  But  the  school 
was  teaching  only  the  traditional  academic  course  which  it  had 
for  the  last  thirty  years,  while  other  schools  about  us  have  been 
teaching  the  practical  courses  which  meet  the  needs  of  those  who 
cannot  continue  their  education  beyond  the  high  school,  and  of 
those  whose  talents  are  such  as  will  not  permit  them  to  pursue  col- 
legiate work.  Now  that  the  room  required  for  these  practical 
courses  is  furnished,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  school  to  serve  these  stu- 
dents by  establishing  them.  To  do  this  will,  of  course,  affect  the 
tax  rate,  but  will  not  cause  it  to  run  as  high  as  it  has  for  the  year 
ending  1915.  This  tax  rate  is  not  a  small  one.  There  are  two 
distinct  factors  that  determine  its  size:  (1)  the  amount  of  money 
expended,  (2)  the  valuation  of  the  property  on  which  the  tax  is 
to  be  levied. 


2 4-.  2  78. 29 
|9<4 


TERCH  EBS 


NOTE  :  Directions  for  reading  graphs  are  found  on  page  109. 


NOTE:  Directions  for  reading  graphs  are  found  on  page  109. 


72  A  STUDY 

a.     The  Cost  of  Maintaining  the  School. 

To  learn  whether  the  first  of  these  factors  is  abnormal  we 
shall  have  to  study  the  per  capita  cost  of  instruction  for  the  school. 
This  cost  in  the  first  eight  grades  and  in  the  high  school  is  deter- 
mined by  dividing  the  amount  expended  during  the  school  year 
for  the  actual  current  expenses  of  the  school,  by  the  number  of 
pupils  registered  during  the  year.  In  this  computation,  money 
expended  for  the  bonded  indebtedness  including  both  principal 
and  interest,  for  the  village  library,  for  the  new  building,  for  the 
addition  to  the  school  yard,  and  for  furniture  for  the  new  addi- 
tion, has  been  deducted  that  a  just  comparison  may  be  made 
between  the  various  years  and  various  schools. 

Table  No.  18. 
Table  No.  18.     Per  Capita  Costs  of  Instruction. 

Am't  not  included 

Year  Per  Cap.  Cost     Per  Cap.  Cost  in     in  this  computation 

ending  in  the  Grades.   Acad.  Departm't.   as  explained  above. 

1910    $17.56  $67.03  $3327.94 

1911  18.67  58.47  3737.15 

1912  21.44  44.66  2552.77 

1913  22.83  47.62  3827.36 

1914  25.04  58.11  7445.60 

The  cost  per  pupil  in  the  grades  has  increased  steadily  since 
1910.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  salaries  of  the  grade  teach- 
ers have  increased  regularly  and  consistently  since  that  time,  as 
is  shown  by  graph  number  6,  page  number  54.  Another  cause 
for  the  increase  is  the  enlarged  space  devoted  to  grade  work  in 
the  new  addition  to  the  building,  which  means  more  heat,  light 
and  janitor  service.  The  new  ventilating  system  is  also  an  added 
expense.  But  with  these  increases  there  has  been  no  great 
increase  in  the  registration  in  the  grades. 

The  per  capita  cost  in  the  academic  work  was  high  in  1910 
because  of  the  very  low  registration  in  the  department  that  year. 


FINANCES  73 

The  following  two  years  show  a  decrease  due  to  a  greater  increase 
in  attendance  than  in  the  salary  schedule.  In  1913  an  increase 
begins,  due  to  the  additional  room  devoted  to  this  work  and  an 
increase  in  salaries.  In  1914  there  was  a  large  jump  due  to  the 
installation  of  the  commercial  department,  a  substantial  increase 
in  salaries,  the  use  of  the  new  ventilating  system,  and  the  increase 
of  rooms  to  be  heated  and  cared  for. 

These  figures  were  presented  to  the  State  Department  of 
Education  for  comparison  with  the  average  cost  in  the  state.  The 
reply  was  that,  although  the  per  capita  cost  of  instruction  is 
determined  for  the  state  in  a  different  way  from  that  used  in 
this  Study,  yet  it  was  estimated  that  our  expenses  are  "not  above 
the  average  for  the  state,  and  would  compare  very  favorably  with 
those  of  other  villages  of  our  size."  In  other  words,  the  people  of 
Dansville  are  educating  their  young  people  at  a  per  capita  cost 
as  low  as  the  average  union  free  school  district  in  the  state,  if 
not  lower,  and,  therefore,  the  amounts  to  be  raised  by  taxation 
have  not  been  exorbitant. 


b.     The  Size  of  the  District. 

The  remaining  factor  of  valuation,  then,  must  be  looked  to. 
A  table  has  been  prepared  to  show  the  population,  valuation  and 
rate  of  taxation  for  some  of  the  schools  in  our  vicinity,  for  the 
year  ending  1914. 


Table  No.  19. 

Village                                  Population  Valuation  Rate  of  Taxation 

LeRoy    3771  $2,625.362  $  9.50  per  M. 

Warsaw    3206  1,846,230  6.98 

Mt.  Morris   2782  1,396,514  7.61 

Caledonia    1290  1,134,663  8.75 

Bath    3884  2,067,815  6.61 

Perry    4388  2,240,763 

DANSVILLE 3938  1,706,092  10.55 


74  A  STUDY 

This  table  may  be  standardized  by  basing  the  valuations  on 
a  population  of  4,000  inhabitants  which  will  make  comparison  pos- 
sible. To  make  this  clear,  let  us  suppose  that  Caledonia  has  a  val- 
uation of  $1,134,663.00  for  her  population  of  1,290,  then  she  would 
have  at  this  rate  a  valuation  of  $3,518,344.88  for  a  population  of 
4,000.  The  table  below  is  made  up  in  this  manner. 

Table  No.  20. 
Village  Standardized  valuation 

LeRoy   $2,784,791.30 

Warsaw    2,303,468.49 

Mount  Morris  2,007,928.11 

Caledonia   3,518,334.88 

Bath 2,129,814.88 

Perry  2,042,617.41 

DANSVILLE  1,732,952.76 

This  comparison  discloses  the  fact  that  the  valuation  of  the 
Dansville  Union  Free  School  District  is  small,  which  is  the  secret 
of  the  high  tax  rate.  The  fact  is,  the  boundaries  of  the  district 
are  smaller  than  those  of  the  village.  There  are  children  living 
in  the  village  of  Dansville  who  are  compelled  either  to  attend  a 
district  school  or  to  pay  tuition  at  the  village  high  school.  One 
of  these  district  schools  is  protected  by  a  hydrant  of  the  village 
water  works.  In  the  other  schools  mentioned  in  the  above  table, 
the  boundaries  extend  beyond  the  village  limits.  In  Caledonia's 
case,  the  boundaries  of  the  Union  Free  School  District  extend 
over  four  miles  south  of  the  village  limits.  The  remedy  for  Dans- 
ville's  high  tax  rate  is  not  hard  to  find.  The  boundaries  of  her 
district  ought  to  be  enlarged. 

This  problem  is  not  so  serious  as  it  seems  at  first  sight.  There 
is  a  strong  movement  on  foot  in  the  State  Education  Department 
to  legislate  into  being  a  township  school  system  which  will  put 
the  schools  of  a  township  under  the  control  of  a  Board  of  Edu- 
cation for  the  entire  town.  The  expense  of  maintaining  all  the 
schools  in  the  town  will  be  met  by  a  tax  levied  equally  on  all 
parts  of  the  town.  This  iwill  mean  that  in  North  Dansville  all 


FINANCES  75 

the  district  schools  will  be  closed  and  the  children  cared  for  in 
the  high  school.  This  is  entirely  possible,  probable  and  feasible 
for  the  town  is  but  three  miles  square.  No  child  would  have  as 
far  to  go  as  do  the  children  living  in  the  southern  portion  of  the 
Caledonia  Union  Free  School  District,  or  those  living  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  Greigsville  Union  Free  School  District.  Such  a 
plan  is  just  for  all  concerned.  At  the  present  time  the  district 
schools  are,  as  a  whole,  doing  a  poor  grade  of  work.  As  an  evi- 
dence of  this  we  have  only  to  refer  the  reader  to  the  fact  dis- 
closed on  page  ,  that  there  is  a  heavy  retardation  in  the  junior 
high  school,  due  to  the  training  that  many  children  have  received 
in  district  schools,  and  to  cite  that  out  of  every  hundred  rural 
school  students  who  try  the  Regents'  examinations  for  their  pre- 
liminary certificate,  about  80  fail.  Yet  each  one  of  these  students  is 
required  to  present  to  the  teacher  in  charge  of  the  examinations 
a  certificate  from  his  teacher  stating  that  according  to  her  best 
judgment  the  bearer  is  prepared  to  take  the  examination.  This 
must  not  be  construed  as  a  harsh  arraignment  of  the  district 
school  teachers.  They  have  from  four  to  eight  grades  to  teach. 
This  means  a  tremendous  burden  of  work  if  it  is  done  well, 
regardless  of  the  number  they  may  have  in  the  various  grades. 
Furthermore,  these  teachers,  as  a  whole,  are  young  and  with  but 
meager  training  to  teach  and  but  little  experience.  If  the  physi- 
cians we  employ  were  trained  for  their  work  and  were  allowed 
to  practice  with  as  little  experience  as  the  average  rural  teacher, 
the  undertakers  would  do  a  landslide  business.  Hence,  for  the 
rural  children,  a  school  with  nearly  a  score  of  well  trained  and 
talented  teachers,  one  for  each  grade  and  special  teachers  in 
music,  drawing  and  penmanship ;  one  with  the  advantages  of  spe- 
cial departments  in  commercial  work,  agriculture  and  home  mak- 
ing ;  one  with  a  junior  high  school  department  for  the  children 
in  the  seventh  and  eighth  years,  where  the  students  are  promoted 
by  subjects,  and  where  the  course  of  study  is  so  enriched  as  to 
make  vocational  guidance  a  possibility ; — in  short,  a  school  which 
gives  these  rural  children  the  advantages  of  those  who  live  in 
large  villages  and  the  cities,  is  a  godsend  to  them.  Many  of  the 


76  A  STUDY 

rural  districts  already  recognize  this  and  are  contracting  with  the 
Union  Free  School  District.  But  the  district  cannot  afford  to  do 
this  much  longer  at  the  prices  they  have  in  the  past.  The  con- 
tract price  in  the  past  has  been  less  than  $15.00  per  child,  yet  it 
was  shown  that  it  costs  more  than  $25.00  per  student  in  the  grades 
and  more  than  $58.00  in  the  high  school.  Surely  no  district  can 
expect  another  to  furnish  it  the  best  of  advantages  for  less  than 
half  the  cost.  It  is  true  that  without  the  rural  children  about  the 
same  work  would  be  given  for  the  village  children,  and,  there- 
fore, their  presence  does  not  increase  the  expense  pro  rata. 
But  the  poor  preparation  of  the  rural  students  acts  as  a  brake 
to  the  progress  of  the  school,  demanding  time  for  these  stu- 
dents that  ought  to  be  given  to  the  children  of  our  district, 
and  increases  the  work  of  the  faculty  and  the  administration 
of  the  school.  All  this  more  than  makes  up  for  any  slight 
financial  advantage,  if  any  exists.  The  children  of  the  rural 
districts  should  be  brought  up  through  the  grades  of  the  union 
school,  and  their  parents  should  bear  the  expense  equally  with 
the  parents  in  the  village. 

Just  what  the  effect  of  a  consolidation  would  be,  may  be 
made  clear  by  adding  the  valuations  of  the  districts  which  might 
be  consolidated. 

Table  No.  21. 

District  No.     1,  North  Dansville  $1,709,347.00 

District  No.    2,  North  Dansville  125,666.00 

District  No.    3,  North  Dansville  57,722.00 

District  No.    4,  North  Dansville  151,425.00 

District  No.     5,  North  Dansville  76,777.30 

District  No.  11,  West  Sparta   52,161.50 


Total   valuation    $2,173,098.80 

These  children  could  be  taken  care  of  by  the  Union  School 
without  additional  teachers  and  additional  expense  with  the  sole 
exception  of  transportation.  This  costs  two  of  the  present  con- 


FINANCES  77 

tracting  districts  $214.75  and  $240.00.  Using  this  as  a  basis,  the 
additional  expense  for  transportation  would  be  $600.00.  This 
would  mean  a  uniform  tax  rate  of  less  than  $9.00  per  thousand  for 
the  new  district.  Under  these  conditions,  the  rural  community 
would  pay  its  share  for  the  advantages  it  has  been  receiving  for  the 
past  twenty-five  years,  in  having  its  children  given  a  high  school 
education  at  about  one-third  its  actual  cost,  and  its  children  would 
be  cared  for  by  a  school  as  up-to-date  as  it  is  possible  to  have. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  people  of  the  village,  or  rather  those  of 
the  village  who  live  in  the  Union  Free  School  District,  would  be 
relieved  of  a  heavy  taxation,  to  which  they  have  been  subjected 
to  maintain  a  school  which  has  contributed  to  the  valuation  of 
the  farms  of  the  surrounding  country-side.  It  is  a  certainty  that 
this  is  the  most  just  solution  of  the  problem. 


2.     Method  of  Accountancy. 

This  year  has  witnessed  the  inauguration  of  a  new  system 
of  accountancy,  due  very  largely  to  the  efforts  of  the  President 
of  the  Board  of  Education,  Mr.  Frank  J.  Blum.  A  specially  pre- 
pared account  book  is  so  ruled  that  every  expenditure  is  entered 
in  its  proper  column,  so  that  at  the  end  of  the  year,  the  exact 
amount  spent  for  each  item,  as  outlined  by  the  State  Department, 
is  shown,  and  at  a  glance  the  exact  amount  that  has  been  expended 
at  any  time  may  be  seen.  The  business  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion is  carried  on  with  as  much  care  in  the  matter  of  detail  as  any 
small  corporation. 


j.     Bonded  Indebtedness. 

In  1912  the  Union  Free  School  District  voted  to  raise  by  bond 
issue  the  sum  of  $32,000.00  to  build  to  and  renovate  the  old  build- 
ing. November  of  that  year  saw  the  payment  of  the  last  bond 
of  the  preceding  series  and  the  following  year  the  new  issue  began 
to  be  paid  at  the  rate  of  $2,000.00  per  year.  The  bonds  had  been 


78  A  STUDY 

A  Questionaire  Addressed  to  Non-Graduates 


Name Address 

I.    Please  mark  with  a  (x)  the  reason  or  reasons  which  influenced  you  to  leave  high 
school  before  completing  the  work: 

a.    The  expense  was  too  great. 

(Consider  this  only  when  it  was  an  absolute  necessity  to  earn.) 


b.  Parental  objections:    What  are  they  ? 

c.  The  lack  of  Interest  in  school  work.    To  what  was  it  due  ? 

d.  No  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  work. 
(Consider  this  only  if  you  see  its  value  now.) 

e.  No  foresight  of  the  course's  value  for  the  future— in  other  words,  present 

pleasures  or  seeming  opportunities  caused  you  to  forget  the  future. 

f.  The  feeling  that  the  high  school  course  wouldn't  be  worth  while  for  you 

in  the  work  you  expected  to  follow.     What  was  that  work  ? 

g.  The  feeling  that  you  were  too  old  to  continue  in  school. 
h.    The  lack  of  harmony  between  you  and  the  faculty. 

i.    The  desire  to  earn  money  or  to  work  :  the  confinement  of  the  school  room 
was  irksome. 

j.    Some  opportunity  presented  itself  which  you  felt  you  could  not  afford  to 
ignore.    What  was  it  ? 

k.    The  high  school  work  was  too  difficult. 

1.    The  failure  on  the  part  of  the  faculty  to  make  clear  the  value  of  the  course. 

m.    Ill  health.    Would  any  of  the  above  have  influenced  you  to  drop  out  of 
school?  Which? 

n.    If  there  are  any  other  reasons,  or  any  suggestions,  please  state  them  here 
or  on  the  back  of  this  sheet. 

II.  Would  an  agricultural  course  which  teaches  the  scientific  principles  underlying 
arming  and  nursery  work  have  kept  you  in  school  ? 

III.  Would  a  commercial  course  have  kept  you  in  school  ? 

IV.  Would  manual  training  or  domestic  science  have  kept  you  in  school  ? 

V.  What  would  you  suggest  as  a  means  to  help  a  boy  or  a  girl  overcome  the  reason 
you  have  for  leaving  school  ? 


VI.  Was  your  parents'  attitude  towards  your  high  school  work  very  far  or  able  ? 

Favorable  f Indifferent  ? or  Unfavorable  f Are  your  parents  native  born 

Americans  ? 

VII.  What  influence  did  your  friends  and  associates  have   upon    your  leaving 
school  ?  . . 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  NON-GRADUATES          79 

sold  to  the  Saugerties  Savings  Bank,  Saugerties,  N.  Y.,  bearing 
5%  interest.  The  last  bond  of  this  issue  will  be  paid  in  1928. 
The  interest  on  this  issue  will  amount  to  $13,600.00. 


XVn.     INVESTIGATION   OF   THE   CAUSES   OF   ELIMINATION 
IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  DEPARTMENT 

AND   THE 

REMEDIES  SUGGESTED  THROUGH  A  QUESTIONAIRE 

ADDRESSED  TO  THOSE  WHO  ENTERED  BUT  DID 

NOT  COMPLETE  THE  WORK. 

/.     The  Questionaire. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1914,  the  questionaire,  found 
on  the  opposite  page,  was  sent  to  more  than  three  hundred  young 
men  and  women  to  ask  why  they  had  not  finished  their  high 
school  course.  With  each  questionaire  a  stamped  envelope  for  a 
reply  was  enclosed.  Only  eighty-three  replies  were  received. 
There  are  perhaps  three  factors  that  contributed  to  the  small  num- 
ber of  the  replies.  (1)  A  few  are  probably  ashamed  that  they 
did  not  complete  the  course  and,  therefore,  felt  the  easiest  way 
out  of  it  was  not  to  reply.  (2)  Evidently  the  indifference  which 
existed  for  some  during  their  high  school  days  still  clings  to  them. 
(3)  Many  have  undoubtedly  found  it  difficult  to  analyze  clearly 
just  the  reasons  why  they  left  school,  and,  feeling  that  they  had 
nothing  to  contribute,  made  no  reply.  Undoubtedly  this  is 
the  strongest  of  the  three  factors.  It  is  a  matter  of  serious  regret 
that  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  replies  were  not  received. 

The  compilation  of  the  replies  to  the  various  questions  fol- 
lows. 

2.     Compilation  of  Replies. 

Eight  said  ill  health. 

The  lack  of  harmony  between  the  student  and  the  faculty.     Now  re- 
grets the  lack  of  a  high  school  training. 


80  A  STUDY 

The  lack  of  interest  in  school  work  because  the  studies  didn't  seem 
practical.  Coupled  with  this  was  a  desire  to  earn  money.  The  confinement 
of  the  schoolroom  was  irksome. 

The  feeling  that  the  high  school  work  would  not  be  worth  while  for 
the  work  the  writer  wished  to  pursue,  which  was  teaching  a  district 
school.  There  was  also  a  lack  of  harmony  between  him  and  the  faculty. 

The  feeling  that  the  high  school  work  would  not  be  worth  while  for 
the  work  the  writer  wished  to  pursue. 

The  feeling  that  the  writer  was  too  old  to  continue  school. 

The  feeling  that  a  high  school  course  would  not  be  worth  while  for 
a  farmer's  wife.  With  this  was  coupled  ill  health. 

The  lack  of  interest  due  to  the  choice  of  a  wrong  course  of  study. 
He  felt  that  the  work  wasn't  worth  while  for  a  farmer's  life  and  that  he 
was  too  old  to  continue  school. 

He  felt  that  the  work  was  not  worth  while  for  a  farmer.  There  was 
also  a  lack  of  harmony  between  him  and  the  faculty.  He  was  anxious  to 
earn  money. 

The  expense  was  too  great.  He  felt  he  was  too  old  to  continue  school 
and  the  opportunity  of  learning  a  trade  presented  itself. 

He  considered  two  years  of  the  work  all  that  was  necessary  because 
the  remainder  of  the  work  was  not  practical  enough.  The  desire  to  earn 
money  also  influenced  him. 

The  lack  of  interest  due  to  his  dislike  for  school.  A  commercial 
school  would  have  kept  him,  however. 

No  appreciation  of  me  work.  Ill  health,  also,  prevented  his  continu- 
ance at  school.  Regrets  very  much  that  he  didn't  finish  his  school  work. 

Two  said  there  were  too  many  outside  attractions  which  caused  them 
to  fall  behind  in  their  work. 

The  high  school  work  was  too  difficult. 

The  work  wasn't  practical  enough. 

Two  said  they  had  no  foresight  of  the  course's  value,  and  the  desire 
to  earn  money  caused  them  to  leave  school.  The  opportunity  to  learn  a 
trade  contributed. 

The  desire  to  attend  a  commercial  school. 

Four  said  the  necessity  of  their  working  late  in  autumn  caused  them 
to  get  a  poor  start  in  school  and  they  became  discouraged. 

The  desire  to  work,  and  poor  health  led  him  to  leave  school. 

The  feeling  that  she  was  too  old  to  continue  school,  and  the  oppor- 
tunity presented  itself  for  her  to  attend  a  school  of  domestic  science. 

The  high  school  was  too  far  from  home. 

The  expense  and  the  student's  age  caused  the  student  to  leave  school. 

Had  no  appreciation  of  the  work  at  the  time.  Now  regrets  very  much 
that  the. work  wasn't  completed. 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  NON-GRADUATES          81 

The  feeling  that  the  school  work  wouldn't  be  worth  while  for  the 
work  the  writer  expected  to  pursue.  The  work  in  the  languages  was  too 
hard  and  sickness  in  the  family  also  helped  to  keep  him  out  of  school. 

No  foresight  of  the  course's  value  in  the  future  and  the  feeling  that 
the  work  would  not  aid  her  as  a  nurse. 

Thought  the  high  school  course  not  necessary  to  become  a  district 
school  teacher,  but  later  saw  the  mistake. 

Two  said  the  desire  to  earn  money,  coupled  with  the  difficulty  of  the 
school  work,  caused  them  to  drop  school. 

The  difficulty  of  the  school  work,  and  the  feeling  that  it  wasn't  worth 
while.  Now  says  that  every  child  ought  to  have  a  high  school  education. 

No  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  work,  and  a  lack  of  harmony 
between  the  writer  and  the  faculty. 

The  feeling  that  the  work  wouldn't  be  worth  while  for  practical  busi- 
ness, consequently  the  writer  went  to  a  business  school. 

The  difficulty  of  the  work  coupled  with  the  feeling  that  it  wasn't  worth 
while. 

No  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  work.  "Was  young  and  foolish 
and  had  no  encouragement  to  continue  school." 

The  lack  of  interest  in  school  work;  the  lack  of  harmony  between  the 
student  and  the  faculty ;  the  desire  to  earn  money. 

Eleven  thought  the  expense  too  great.  All  regret  lack  of  an  educa- 
tion. 

The  lack  of  harmony  between  the  student  and  the  faculty. 

The  desire  to  enter  Annapolis  Naval  Academy  led  the  student  to  be- 
lieve a  high  school  education,  as  a  whole,  unnecessary.  Is  now  making  up 
what  he  lacked  for  graduation  in  a  city  night  school. 

The  desire  to  enter  business  led  the  student  to  enter  a  business  school. 

Illness  at  home  caused  the  student  to  give  up  school. 

No  appreciation  of  the  school  work,  and  a  scholarship  in  a  business 
school  caused  the  student  to  leave  high  school.  "The  greatest  mistake  of 
my  life  was  to  leave  high  school  before  I  finished  my  course." 

Moved  from  Dansville  and  the  student's  failure  in  two  Regents  exam- 
inations in  his  senior  year  caused  him  never  to  return  to  school. 

The  expense  was  too  great,  and  the  opportunity  of  learning  a  trade 
presented  itself. 

Ill  health  and  an  opportunity  to  travel. 

No  appreciation  of  the  high  school  course ;  the  feeling  that  the  high 
school  course  wasn't  worth  while  for  a  printer ;  and  a  desire  to  earn  money. 
"Became  sick,  lost  heart  and  dropped  out." 

No  foresight  of  the  course's  value  for  the  future,  together  with  ill 
health.  "What  was  future  then  has  become  the  present,  and  I  regret  with 
much  sorrow  that  I  did  not  heed  the  advice  given  me  then." 


82  A  STUDY 

No  appreciation  of  the  course's  value  and  the  failure  on  the  part  of 
the  faculty  to  make  the  value  clear.  Regrets  that  she  didn't  finish  school. 

The  lack  of  interest  in  school  work;  expense  was  too  great;  no  ap- 
preciation of  the  value  of  the  work;  the  feeling  that  she  was  too  old  to 
attend  school;  "didn't  appreciate  what  was  expected  of  me." 

The  feeling  that  the  high  school  course  wasn't  worth  while  for  the 
work  the  student  expected  to  take  up. 

Lack  of  interest  in  school  work;  no  foresight  of  the  future  value  of 
the  work;  the  feeling  that  the  student  was  too  old;  and  the  work  was  too 
difficult. 

No  appreciation.  Is  positive  that  a  high  school  and  a  college  educa- 
tion would  have  aided  him  to  reach  his  present  position  much  more 
rapidly  than  he  has  without  them. 

"My  mother's  death.  I  shall  always  regret  that  I  did  not  finish  my 
high  school  education." 

Failure  in  several  subjects  and  the  belief  that  a  high  school  education 
isn't  worth  while  unless  one  takes  higher  work. 

"The  high  school  course  was  simply  a  college  preparatory  course, 
and  since  I  wasn't  going  to  college,  I  dropped  out." 


j.     Summary  of  Replies. 

The  expense  was  too  great  14 

Parental    objections    2 

The   lack  of  interest    5 

No  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  work  (to  be  considered  only  if  seen 

now)     9 

No  foresight  of  the  course's  value  for  the  future — in  other  words,  pres- 
ent pleasures   or  seeming  opportunities  caused  you  to  forget  the 

future    8 

The  feeling  that  the  work  wasn't  worth  while  for  the  work  you  ex- 
pected to  follow   14 

The  feeling  that  you  were  too  old  to  continue  school  7 

The  lack  of  harmony  between  you  and  the  faculty 7 

The  desire  to  earn  money  or  to  work;  the  confinement  of  the  school- 
room  was   irksome    9 

Some  opportunity  presented  itself  which  you  felt  you  could  not  afford 

to  ignore  14 

The  high  school  course  was  too  difficult   5 

The  failure  on  the  part  of  the  faculty  to  make  clear  the  value  of  the 

course    1 

111  health  .  16 


Q  UES  TIONA  IRE  TO  NGN-  GRA  D  UA  TES          83 

Irregular  attendance   4 

Illness  in  the  family   2 

Outside    attractions 2 

Lived  too  far  from  the  school   1 

Death  of  a  parent   2 


4.     Remedies  Suggested. 

In  reply  to  questions  II,  III,  and  IV,  ten  said  an  agricul- 
tural course ;  thirty-two,  a  commercial  course ;  and  thirteen,  a 
domestic  science  course  would  have  kept  them  in  school. 

Other  suggestions  by  those  replying  to  the  questionaire  as 
means  of  overcoming  the  causes  for  leaving  school  were : 

Courses  in  higher  mathematics  (given  by  an  engineer  who  had  to 
attend  a  preparatory  school  to  prepare  for  college). 

Two  suggested  regular  attendance. 

Faculty  guidance  and  sympathy. 

Six  suggested  that  the  students  be  shown  the  value  of  the  high  school 
courses. 

Playground. 

Vocational  work. 

Prune  the  course  of  the  less  important  studies. 

Encourage  the  students. 

Free  textbooks. 

Night  school. 

Vocational  guidance  was  suggested  by  three. 

Not  to  crowd  five  years'  work  in  four. 

Three  suggested  that  the  parents  be  interested  in  the  school  and  its 
work,  and  be  shown  the  value  of  an  education. 

More  money  for  the  students. 

Means  of  support  for  a  student. 

Manual  training. 

Higher  standards  of  work. 

Abolish  the  Regents  examinations  which  wreck  girls'  health. 

Decrease  the  cost  of  living. 

Give  interesting  and  practical  subjects. 

5.     The  Influence  of  the  Parents  and  of  Friends. 
Forty-two  report  their  parents'  attitude  toward  a  high  school 


84  A  STUDY 

education  very  favorable ;  eighteen,  favorable ;  two,  indifferent ; 
and  none  as  unfavorable. 

Five  reported  that  their  parents  were  not  native  born  and 
the  remainder  that  they  were  native  born. 

One  person  reports  that  friends  had  great  influence  in  her 
leaving  school;  one  that  friends  had  some  influence;  and  the 
remainder  report  that  friends  had  none. 


6.     Conclusions. 

The  first  thing  to  arrest  the  attention  in  these  answers  is  the 
large  number  who  say  that  ill  health  was  the  cause  for  their 
leaving  school.  However,  of  this  number  31%  said  a  commer- 
cial course  or  a  domestic  science  course  would  have  kept  them  in 
school.  Evidently,  the  real  cause  for  their  leaving  school  perma- 
nently was  not  ill  health  so  much  as  it  was  the  failure  to  find  the 
work  in  school  which  they  felt  to  be  worth  while  to  pursue. 

It  will  be  observed  that  there  seem  to  be  four  main  causes 
underlying  the  larger  number  of  the  replies. 

1.  The  traditional  high  school  course  didn't  appeal  to  them  for  they 
could  see  no  practical  value  in  pursuing  it  for  the  ordinary  walks  in  life. 

2.  The  expense  was  too  great. 

3.  A  lack  of  appreciation  of  the  value  of  an  education  of  any  kind. 
They  seemed  to  feel  that  men  in  the  past  have  made  good  in  life  without 
an  education,  and,  therefore,  they  were  able  to  do  the  same. 

4.  A  natural  inability  to  do  the  work. 

The  first  of  these  is  met  in  part  by  the  establishment  of  a 
commercial  course,  and  would  be  met  much  more  completely  by 
the  establishment  of  departments  of  agriculture  and  home  mak- 
ing. These  departments  are  suggested  strongly  in  the  replies  to 
the  question  what  ought  to  be  done  to  overcome  the  obstacles 
that  lay  in  the  paths  of  those  who  replied. 

For  the  second,  there  seems  to  be  only  one  remedy,  and  that 
is  part  time  work  for  those  whose  finances  will  not  permit  them 
to  spend  all  their  time  at  school  work. 

For  the  third,  there  is  but  one  remedy.    The  parents  and  the 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  NON-GRADUATES          85 

faculty  must  co-operate  very  closely  to  show  the  value  of  an  edu- 
cation and  a  training,  and  to  lay  bare  the  fallacy  that  because  men 
in  the  past  could  make  a  success  of  life  without  an  education  or 
a  training,  the  boys  and  the  girls  of  today  can  do  the  same.  They 
must  be  shown  convincingly  that  the  times  are  not  changeless ; 
but  rather,  are  advancing.  The  demands  of  today  are  heavier 
than  they  were  forty  years  ago,  and  they  will  be  even  greater 
forty  years  from  now.  The  youth  must  have  their  vision  directed 
toward  the  future  if  the  future  is  to  be  well  taken  care  of.  They 
must  be  given  work  that  will  aid  them  practically  as  well  as  the- 
oretically. They  must  be  guided  vocationally. 

The  fourth  cause  cannot  be  remedied.  It  is  impossible  for 
our  school  to  teach  the  trades  or  the  various  kinds  of  manual 
labor.  If  heredity  has  decreed  that  such  is  the  kind  of  work  some 
of  our  boys  and  girls  are  to  follow,  the  best  that  can  be  done  with 
them  is  to  give  them  at  least  the  work  done  in  the  grades,  and 
as  much  of  the  junior  and  senior  high  school  work  as  they  can 
get  as  a  preparation  for  citizenship  and  their  social  duties.  There 
it  must  stop. 

The  answers  to  the  question  as  to  the  parents'  attitude  toward 
education,  it  is  feared,  do  not  lay  bare  the  naked  truth.  The  num- 
ber reported  indifferent  appears  enormously  low.  Those  answer- 
ing the  questionaire  perhaps  remember  hearing  the  parents  say 
that  they  ought  to  have  an  education,  but  when  the  critical  time 
came,  the  parents  failed  to  do  their  duty,  or,  perhaps,  felt  they 
had  no  duty  to  perform.  If  there  had  been  a  very  favorable  atti- 
tude toward  education,  they  would  have  done  everything  in 
their  power  to  show  the  child  why  he  ought  to  remain  in  school 
and  to  keep  him  in  school.  Had  this  been  done,  more  would  have 
remained.  It  is  rather  peculiar  that  none  of  the  parents  were 
unfavorably  disposed  toward  education.  During  the  past  two 
years,  the  writer  has  become  aware  of  two  families  who  would 
not  permit  their  children  to  continue  school,  and  two  replies  to 
the  questionaire  suggest  parental  objections.  Surely  there  must 
have  been  more  than  these  in  the  past  ten  years. 


86  A  STUDY 

A  Questionaire  Addressed  to  the  Graduates 


Name Address. 

1.    Present  occupation  or  business 


2.    Higher  institutions  of  learning  you  have  attended  since  your  graduation  from 
high  school  and  give  degrees  conferred 


3.  Have  you  found  the  work  done  in  these  schools  or  colleges  worth  while  ? 

4.  Mark  with  an  (x)  the  high  school  course  you  have  pursued  ;    English 

Latin-scientific Classical General 

5.  Have  you  found  Latin  of  value  to  you  ? If  you  had  your  high  school 

work  to  do  over  again  in  the  light  of  your  present  experience,  would  you  study  Latin  ? 
Mathematics? Science? 

6.  Can  you  state  in  what  respect  have  you  found  the  following  of  value  (please 

answer  each  individually)  ?     Latin? 

Mathematics  ? . . .  Science  ? 


7.    Have  you  found  your  high  school  course  worth  while  in  a  practical  way  *. 
In  a  cultural  way  ? In  an  ethical  way  ? In  a  civic  way  ? 


8.  Did  you  "find  yourself'1,  i.  e.,  develop  a  dominant  interest  which  has  determined 
your  subsequent  life,  during  your  school  experience,  and,  if  so,  what  studies,    if  any, 
contributed  to  your  self-discovery  ? 

9.  What  in  your  opinion  ought  to  be  done  to  make  the  high  school  course  of  greater 
value  to  our  students  ? 

10.  If  you  had  it  to  do  over  again,  in  the  light  of  your  present  experience,  would  you 
complete  a  high  school  course  ? Would  you  advise  others  to  do  so  ? 

11.  Dansville  has  an  average  graduating  class  of  11  per  year  while  approximately  35 
enter  per  year.    What  would  you  suggest  as  a  means  to  raise  this  very  low  percentage 
of  students  to  graduate  ? 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  GRADUATES  ,    87 

The  nationality  of  the  parents  throws  no  light  on  the  prob- 
lem. Neither  does  the  influence  of  the  companions.  However, 
it  is  more  than  likely  that  the  silent  power  of  suggestion  has 
played  an  important  part  in  the  last  case.  A  young  person  whose 
friends  are  working  and  have  money  to  spend  freely,  have  uncon- 
sciously appealed  to  the  student  in  school  to  the  extent  that  he 
wished  to  have  money  and  the  good  times  it  brings.  The  oppor- 
tunities for  work  and  good  wages  in  the  nurseries  did  the  rest. 


XVIII.     A  QUESTIONAIRE  ADDRESSED  TO  THE  GRADUATES 
OF  THE  HIGH   SCHOOL. 

/.     The  Questionable, 

Those  who  did  not  finish  their  high  school  education  have 
given  their  version  of  the  problem.  It  is  equally  important  to 
learn  what  those  had  to  say  who  had  completed  the  course.  In 
order  to  get  this  side  of  the  story,  a  questionaire  was  sent  to 
each  of  the  graduates  of  the  high  school  up  to  and  including  the 
class  of  1912.  There  were  232  letters  sent,  to  which  there  were 
116  replies.  Forty-three  per  cent  of  the  graduates  in  the  classes 
from  1890  to  1901,  and  fifty-six  per  cent  of  those  in  the  classes 
from  1901  to  1912  made  reply.  A  copy  of  the  questionaire  is 
found  on  the  opposite  page. 

The  replies  to  the  first  two  questions  were  given  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  graduates  (see  page  36  ).  The  replies  to  the  third 
question  are  eighty-one  affirming  that  the  work  done  in  institu- 
tions beyond  the  high  school  is  worth  while;  four  are  blank  and 
one  is  negative. 


2.     The  Value  of  Latin,  Mathematics  and  the  Sciences. 

Question  five  was  included  in  the  questionaire  to  find  out  the 
opinion  of  the  graduates  as  to  the  value  these  subjects  have  had 
for  them  and  to  learn  if  they  feel  it  was  worth  their  time  to  study 


88  A  STUDY 

them.  The  students  are  constantly  contending  that  they  cannot 
see  why  they  have  to  study  such  subjects.  Undoubtedly  the  boys 
and  the  girls  of  the  past  have  asked  just  such  questions.  The 
replies  give  an  answer.  With  this  question  goes  the  sixth  which 
asks  the  graduates  in  what  way  they  have  found  these  subjects 
of  value.  The  results  obtained  follow. 

Ninety-six  affirm  and  seventeen  deny  that  the  study  of  Latin  was 
worth  while. 

Ninety  affirm  and  sixteen  deny  that  they  would  study  Latin  again  in 
the  light  of  their  present  experience.  Three  said  they  would  study  a  little 
of  it. 

One  hundred  four  affirm  and  six  deny  that  they  would  study  mathe- 
matics again  in  the  light  of  their  present  experience.  Five  say  they  would 
study  some  mathematics. 

One  hundred  eleven  said  they  would  study  the  sciences  again  in  the 
light  of  their  present  experience;  three  said  they  would  not. 

In  reply  to  the  question  whether  the  one  questioned  could 
state  in  what  respect  Latin  has  been  of  value,  the  following  are 
the  answers : 

Three  women  and  three  men  state  in  a  cultural  way. 

Twenty-eight  men  and  forty  women  state  as  an  aid  in  understanding 
the  English  vocabulary,  syntax  and  grammar.  Two  of  these  women  say 
that  this  was  of  slight  value. 

Nine  men  and  six  women  say  as  a  foundation  for  other  languages. 
One  woman  says  this  was  slight. 

Four  men  and  ten  women  say  as  an  aid  in  understanding  literature. 

Eight  men  and  five  women  say  from  a  disciplinary  standpoint,  of 
whom  one  states  it  developed  perseverance ;  one,  an  analytical  turn  of 
mind ;  one,  concentration ;  and  two,  memory. 

Three  women  and  one  man  believe  it  has  aided  them  practically.  One 
woman  says  it  aided  her  in  reading  and  understanding  quotations  in  maga- 
zine review  work.  Another  says  it  aids  in  science;  one,  in  pharmacy;  one, 
in  teaching;  and  another  in  discriminating  vowel  sounds  in  her  work  as 
a  singer. 

Ten  men  and  one  woman  say  it  has  aided  them  in  building  up  a  tech- 
nical vocabulary.  Of  these,  three  specify  in  medicine,  two  in  law  and  one 
in  business. 

Five  women  believe  it  has  aided  them  to  use  correct  and  pure  English. 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  GRADUATES  89 

Two  men  and  two  women  testify  that  it  has  aided  them  in  under- 
standing and  appreciating  the  church  liturgy  and  services. 

Two  women  didn't  study  Latin,  one  of  whom  regrets  it. 

Two  men  and  five  women  make  no  reply  which  may  be  interpreted 
as  their  not  being  conscious  of  any  value. 

Five  men  and  nine  women  say  that  Latin  has  no  value  for  the  student, 
and  two  women  say  Latin  is  not  essential.  Of  the  former,  perhaps  a  ma- 
jority may  be  said  to  have  developed  a  hostile  attitude  toward  the  sub- 
ject. 

In  reply  to  the  question  in  what  respect  mathematics  has  been 
of  value,  the  following  are  the  answers : 

Sixteen  men  and  twenty-eight  women  ascribe  a  disciplinary  value  to 
mathematics  as  follows :  three  men  and  seven  women  say  accuracy  was 
developed;  seven  men  and  fourteen  women  say  mathematics  developed 
their  reasoning  power;  six  women  and  six  men  claim  for  it  a  general  dis- 
cipline of  the  mind;  one  woman  says  it  developed  in  her  a  systematic 
turn  of  mind;  one  man  and  one  woman  say  they  learned  concentration. 

Thirty  men  and  twenty-four  women  ascribe  a  practical  value  to  the 
study  of  mathematics.  Of  these,  some  specify  in  what  way :  in  business, 
eleven  men  and  three  women ;  in  office  work,  two  men  and  two  women ;  in 
farming,  one  man;  in  scientific  study,  one  man  and  one  woman;  in  engi- 
neering, three  men;  in  teaching  arithmetic,  three  woman;  in  pharmacy, 
one  woman ;  in  law,  one  man ;  in  insurance  work,  one  man ;  in  architecture, 
one  man ;  in  typesetting,  one  man. 

Four  men  and  twelve  women  give  no  reply  which  may  be  construed  as 
their  not  being  conscious  of  any  value. 

Three  men  and  one  woman  find  a  value  in  the  aid  given  them  for  ad- 
vanced study,  particularly  in  the  sciences. 

Two  men  find  only  an  informational  value. 

Nine  women  say  they  experienced  no  value  whatsoever.  Theirs  is 
almost,  a  hostile  attitude.  One  says  the  value  received  was  very  slight. 

The  following  are  the  answers  received  concerning  the  sci- 
ences : 

Eighteen  men  and  twenty-six  women  say  for  the  intrinsic  interest  in 
the  information  received ;  the  pleasure  of  knowing  nature  and  her  phe- 
nomena. 

Eighteen  men  and  thirteen  women  say,  from  a  practical  standpoint. 
Of  these,  five  women  said  in  teaching  nature  study;  in  pharmacy,  one  man 
and  one  woman ;  in  medicine,  two  men  and  one  woman ;  in  engineering, 


90  A  STUDY 

three  men ;  in  agriculture,  one  man ;  in  housekeeping,  one  woman ;  in  busi- 
ness, two  men;  in  electrotyping,  one  man. 

Three  men  and  four  women  say  a  broader  appreciation  of  nature. 

One  man,  as  a  foundation  for  philosophy. 

One  man,  helpful  in  a  civic  way. 

Five  men  and  four  women,  in  a  disciplinary  way.  Of  these  one  man 
says,  in  developing  logical  thought;  three  women,  observation;  one  man 
and  one  woman,  concentration ;  one  man,  in  drawing  conclusions ;  one  man, 
in  reasoning. 

Eight  men  and  twenty-three  women  make  no  answer,  suggesting, 
thereby,  that  they  are  conscious  of  no  definite  value. 

Five  women  see  no  value  in  the  subject  at  all. 

Thirteen  people  say  there  is  a  value  but  fail  to  tell  what  it  is. 


j.     Observations. 

A  study  of  these  replies  reveals  some  interesting  facts.  The 
stock  argument  used  by  educators  in  behalf  of  Latin  and  pure 
mathematics,  has  been  that  these  studies  give  general  training. 
Practically  every  student  has  had  this  as  his  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion, "Why  study  it?"  Yet  the  replies  to  the  question  concerning 
the  Latin  show  but  eleven  testifying  to  the  value  of  Latin  as  a  dis- 
ciplinary subject.  The  remaining  eighty-five  assign  some  practical 
and  definite  value  to  its  study.  The  greatest  value  seems  to  be  in 
the  proper  understanding  of  and  the  use  of  English.  If  these 
replies  are  accurate,  might  not  the  question  be  asked  if  we  are  not 
teaching  Latin  in  the  wrong  way,  and  if  too  much  time  is  not  spent 
on  it?  Might  it  not  be  wise  to  have  the  syllabus  of  Latin  to 
be  taught,  so  revised  as  to  cut  down  the  amount  of  time  devoted 
to  it  and  to  rearrange  the  work  in  such  a  way  that  the  value  the 
graduates  have  experienced  might  be  emphasized?  With  less 
puzzling  over  difficult  Latin  constructions  and  more  study  of 
Latin  roots  there  might  be  a  more  apparent  and  practical  value 
of  Latin  for  the  average  student  who  now  avoids  the  difficulty  of 
the  constructions  by  the  use  of  the  familiar  fifty-cent  literal  trans- 
lation. Surely  the  study  of  Latin  under  these  conditions  will  not 
give  the  student  much,  if  any,  training  save  in  dishonesty.  Yet, 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  GRADUATES  91 

beneath  the  whole  question  lies  that  other  of  formal  displine. 
Would  that  it  were  definitely  settled!  Then  the  other  might  be 
taken  care  of  easily  and  without  fear  or  misgivings. 

For  mathematics,  there  seemed  to  be  no  greater  amount  of 
enthusiasm  than  for  the  Latin.  In  fact,  there  were  more  who 
could  give  no  value  for  the  study  of  mathematics  than  there  were 
who  could  give  none  for  Latin.  There  were  more  who  ascribed 
to  the  study  of  mathematics  a  general  disciplinary  value  than  to 
the  study  of  Latin.  There  seemed  to  be  less  hostility  toward 
mathematics,  however,  than  toward  Latin.  One  curious  fact  is 
that  all  who  show  a  hostility  to  mathematics  are  women.  The 
women  are  in  the  majority  of  those  who  saw  no  value  in  Latin. 

But  the  most  surprising  observation  of  all  is  that  there  are 
more  who  were  able  to  ascribe  a  definite  value  to  Latin  or  mathe- 
matics than  there  were  who  could  for  science.  Most  give  it  only 
an  informational  value.  Again  the  women  are  the  only  ones  who 
give  the  study  of  science  no  value. 

Judging  from  these  answers,  then,  Latin  has  as  definite  a 
place  in  the  curriculum  because  of  its  usefulness  as  has  mathe- 
matics or  science  as  it  is  now  taught.  In  the  writer's  opinion, 
science  is  altogether  too  technical  for  the  average  high  school 
student. 


92  A  STUDY 

4.     The  Value  of  the  High  School  Course. 

In  reply  to  the  question  whether  the  graduate  found  the  high 
school  course  worth  while  from  a  practical  standpoint,  from  a  cul- 
tural standpoint,  from  an  ethical  standpoint,  and  in  a  civic  way, 
the  following  answers  were  received. 

In  a  practical  way :     Affirmative  answers      112 

Negative  answers    4 

(One  is  hostile.) 

In  a  cultural  way :    Affirmative  answers 112 

(Three  are  emphatic.) 

Negative  answers 1 

A  reply  of  "somewhat"  3 

In  an  ethical  way :     Affirmative  answers  95 

(One  of  whom  attributes  it  to  a  German  story  read 
in  a  third  year  German  class.) 

Negative   7 

Doubtful   4 

In   a  civic   way :       Affirmative    90 

Negative   6 

A  reply  of  "somewhat"    4 

In  reply  to  the  question,  "If  you  had  it  to  do  over  again,  in 
the  light  of  your  present  experience,  would  you  complete  a  high 
school  course?",  all  answer,  "yes"  with  all  degrees  of  emphasis. 
In  answer  to  the  question,  "Would  you  advise  others  to  do 
so?",  there  are  one  hundred  and  seven  affirmative  answers  vary- 
ing from  yes  to  the  most  emphatic  forms  of  an  affirmative  ans- 
wer. One  person  does  not  answer  the  question,  and  eight  give 
qualified  affirmatives  which  are  as  follows: 

Unless  student  has  an  exceptional  opportunity  for  practical  work. 

Depends  on  the  aim  of  the  individual. 

If  parents  can  afford  it. 

Not  as  curriculum  was  when  I  was  in  school. 

If  the  student  has  the  mental  capacity  for  the  work. 

If  it  is  possible  for  the  student  to  get  it. 

If  the  student  has  a  normal  intellect. 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  GRADUATES  93 

5.     The  High  School  Course  as  a  Means  of  Self -discovery. 

In  the  question  "Did  you  find  yourself,  i.  e.,  develop  a  domi- 
nant interest  which  has  determined  your  subsequent  life  during 
your  high  school  experience  and  if  so  what  studies  contributed 
to  your  self  discovery?"  there  were  fifty-three  negatives  and 
thirty-five  affirmatives. 

The  replies  to  the  question,  "What  studies  contributed  to  the 
self  discovery?"  were  very  interesting.  The  following  are  the 
answers  given : 

The  entire  course  an  excellent  foundation  on  which  to  build. 

Somewhat  through  the  study  of  geology — mining  engineer. 

Playing  piano  for  primary  grade  exercises — supervisor  of  kinder- 
gartens. 

A  period  of  development  and  all  studies  opened  new  vistas. 

Cannot  put  ringer  on  what  studies  awakened  me. 

Literary  study  and  debate  led  to  law,  i.  e.,  literary  society  awakened 
him. 

Literature — librarian. 

Trigonometry  in  a  small  degree  suggested  engineering. 

English  and  particularly  the  English  classics  led  to  editing,  reporting. 

Physics,  chemistry,  and  history  led  to  law. 

Development  of  the  feeling  of  independence  and  love  of  work. 

Drawing — architecture. 

English  in  a  small  way. 

Bookkeeping  and  science — bookkeeper  and  cashier. 

Outside  interests,  activities,  management  of  teams — business  and  bank- 
ing. 

Latin,  mathematics,  chemistry — pharmacy. 

Desire  developed  to  attend  higher  institutions. 

Study  of  sciences — medicine. 

Sciences — drug  clerk. 

Sciences,  mathematics,  languages — teacher. 

English — review  editor. 

German — teaching. 

Languages — teaching. 

Not  a  direct  aid.  Training  of  high  school  aided  the  writer  to  deter- 
mine at  a  later  time  his  vocation. 

English  and  history — teaching. 

English,  Latin,  sciences — teaching. 


94  %  A  STUDY 

Became  interested  in  education  and  attended  a  normal  school. 

Became  interested  in  school  life  and  became  a  teacher. 

Geometry,  English,  bookkeeping — clerk. 

English,  history. 

Literature  and  science. 

Mathematics  and  science. 

English  literature — librarian. 

Chemistry. 

Mathematics,  sciences — engineering. 

NOTE :  The  older  graduates  give  but  few  affirmative  answers.  Per- 
haps sixty  per  cent  of  the  answers  come  from  comparatively  recent  grad- 
uates. This  means  undoubtedly  that  experience  has  taught  the  students 
that  what  they  thought  they  were  fitted  for,  was  not  the  case. 


6.     Observations. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  almost  all  the  graduates  have  experi- 
enced a  practical  and  a  cultural  value  in  their  high  school  course. 
Whether  this  has  been  as  great  as  it  should  have  been  is  a  ques- 
tion upon  which  no  light  has  been  shed  through  the  questionaire. 
The  answers  as  to  the  ethical  value  and  the  civic  value  are  not  so 
assuring,  though  the  civic  value  should  be  as  pronounced  as  the 
other  two  if  not  more  so.  These  values  must  be  brought  out  in 
the  future,  but  how  to  do  it  is  a  serious  question  of  no  small 
dimensions.  However,  these  answers  ought  to  have  a  tendency 
to  convince  the  youth  who  are  attending  school  that  it  is  decidedly 
worth  while  to  attend  school  and  to  complete  the  high  school 
course. 

The  replies  to  question  eight  reveal  a  weakness  of  all  high 
schools.  From  a  hundred  and  sixteen  replies  there  were  but 
thirty-five  who  could  say  that  the  high  school  aided  them  to  find 
themselves.  Yet  this  condition  is  as  true  in  college  as  in  the  high 
school.  However,  a  serious  attempt  at  vocational  guidance  ought 
to  be  made  and  will  be  made  in  the  future. 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  GRADUATES  95 

7.     How  to  Better  the  School  as  Suggested  by  the  Graduates. 

In  reply  to  question  nine,  ''What,  in  your  opinion,  ought  to 
be  done  to  make  the  high  school  course  of  greater  value  to  our 
students?"  the  following  suggestions  were  received: 

4    More  careful  selection  of  teachers. 

1  Smaller  classes. 

2  Closer  contact  between  teacher  and  pupil. 

1     Stronger  influence  to  counteract  unfortunate  influence  at  home. 
16    Vocational  guidance. 

3  Correlation  of  school  with  life  outside  of  school,  as  civics  with 
civic  problems  to  solve;  science  and  personal  experience. 

12  Manual  training. 

19  Domestic  science. 

1  Begin  some  of  the  difficult  subjects  in  the  grades. 

4  More  emphasis  on  the  English  courses. 

2  Teach  the  habit  to  study. 

1  Trade  courses  for  those  who  cannot  develop  the  power  to  study. 

2  Current  topics  as  a  regular  subject  of  the  curriculum. 

14    Make  the  curriculum  more  practical  preparing  for  urgent  needs 
of  present  day  living. 

3  Better  laboratory  equipment  with  more  emphasis  on  original  work. 

1  Eliminate  subjects  never  used   and  make  the  useful  ones  more 
interesting. 

2  Develop  a  strong,  healthy  literary  society. 
1     Instill  more  ambition  in  students. 

5  To  develop  spirit  of  study  for  knowledge  and  not  for  credit. 

4  Vocational   work. 

1  Broader  curriculum. 

1  Allow  more  liberty  in  the  selection  of  courses. 

10  Commercial  courses. 

7  Agricultural  course  for  those  who  cannot  go  to  college. 

3  Teach  students  to  see  value  of  high  school  work. 
1  Induce  more  students  to  attend  high  school. 

1  Teach  students  Christianity,  literature  and  history. 

1  Night  school. 

2  Athletics  under  proper  guidance. 

3  Gymnasium   work — physical  training. 

1     More  time  to  be  spent  on  the  elementary  and  practical  subjects. 
1     Encourage  independent  thought  and  self-dependence  in  the  pur- 
suit of  studies. 


96  A  STUDY 


Less  foreign  language  and  more  English. 

Make  the  work  more  rigid. 

Music  course. 

More  rigid  discipline. 

Fewer  women  teachers. 

Less  work  that  is  over  the  heads  of  the  students. 

Course  in  manners  and  morals. 


8.      Observations. 
A  study  of  these  answers  reveals  the  following  as  salient: 

1.  Vocational  guidance. 

2.  Strong  faculty. 

3.  Supervised  activities. 

4.  The  establishment  of  courses  in  home  making  for  the  girls,  agri- 
culture for  the  boys,  and  a  commercial  course  for  both,  thereby  making 
the  work  of  the  school  more  practical. 

5.  Close  relation  between  faculty  and  students  and  a  close  correlation 
between  the  school  life  and  the  life  outside  of  school,  e.  g.,  civics  with 
civic   problems   to   solve;    the   connection    of    science    with    the    practical 
problems  the  students  face. 

p.     Means  to  Raise  the  Low  Percentage  of  Students  to  Graduate. 

The  last  question  on  the  questionaire  was  worded  in  this 
way.  "Dansville  has  an  average  graduating  class  of  11  per  year 
while  approximately  35  enter  per  year.  What  would  you  suggest 
as  a  means  to  raise  this  very  low  percentage  of  students  to  be 
graduated?"  The  replies  follow: 

1  A  questionaire  each  year  with  the  suggestion  that  all  persons  who 
recognize  the  value   of  the  training  endeavor  to   influence   students   and 
parents  who  are  not  awake  to  the  opporunities  of  our  school. 

3     Personal  contact  between  pupil  and  teacher,  and  interest  in  pupil 
on  the  part  of  the  teacher. 
9    Vocational  guidance. 

2  Development  of  part  time  plan  in  cooperation  with  the  employers 
of  children  over  fourteen. 

3  Vocational  training. 

2    Make  the  high  school  courses  more  interesting. 


QUESTIONAIRE  TO  GRADUATES  97 

1  Employment  of  teachers  of  strong  personality  and  ability. 

3  Publicity  campaign  to  show  the  increased  earning  capacity  of 
graduates. 

1  Increase  school  spirit. 

16  Educate  the  parents. 

24  Educate  the  children  from  the  lower  grades  that  they  should  con- 
tinue in  school  until  they  are  graduated  from  high  school. 

1  Educate  the  children  to  work  and  not  away  from  work. 

9  Practical  courses  added  to  the  curriculum. 

3  Engage  speakers  for  the  year  to  interest  pupils. 

1  Give  the  graduation  classes  trips  to  Washington. 

1  Children  must  be  given  something  to  help  them  earn. 

10  Commercial  course. 

6  Manual  training. 

6  Increase  the  social  and  athletic  interests.     Student  activities. 

8.  Domestic  science. 

1  Literary  work. 

3  Agricultural  courses. 

1  Greater  degree  of  efficiency  on  part  of  faculty. 

1  Longer  school  day  and  less  number  of  years  for  graduation. 

1  Uurge  regular  attendance. 

2  Less  stress  on  Regents  and  more  on  daily  work. 

1  Educate  business  men  to  favor  holders  of  high  school  diplomas. 

1  Teach  students  to  concentrate. 

1  Sympathetic  teachers,  especially  in  first  year  work. 

1  More  music  in  the  school. 

1  Let  the  discipline  be  of  the  leading  kind  rather  than  of  the  driving. 

1  Self-government. 

1  A  system  of  proctoring  with  strong,  sympathetic  teachers. 

1  Give  talks  on  life  beyond  high  school. 

1  Have  two  classes  of  graduates — long  course,  short  course. 

1  Free  texts. 

1  Class  spirit. 

This  question  has  been  interpreted  very  much  as  has  num- 
ber nine.  However,  the  problem  approached  from  this  angle 
reveals  the  suggestion  that  the  children  from  the  earliest  grades 
should  be  so  educated  as  to  make  them  desire  to  continue  their 
school  course  until  graduated  from  high  school.  Another  sug- 
gestion is  to  educate  the  parents  as  to  the  value  of  a  high  school 
training. 


98  A  STUDY 

XIX.     CONCLUSIONS. 

This  Study  leads  to  eleven  general  conclusions,  to  follow 
which  will,  in  the  writer's  opinion,  remedy  very  largely  the  elim- 
ination in  the  junior  and  the  senior  high  schools  which  has  been 
the  cause  of  the  small  attendance  and  the  small  size  of  the  grad- 
uating classes;  and  which  will  make  the  Dansville  High  School 
as  modern  and  efficient  as  possible.  These  conclusions  are  not 
a  program  for  immediate  action.  They  are  to  serve  as  a  sort  of 
a  guide  for  the  future,  and  to  be  brought  to  pass  as  the  oppor- 
tunities present  themselves. 

J.     The  First  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  the  Faculty. 

In  order  to  attract  the  best  material  for  the  two  high  school 
faculties,  which  must  have  character,  personality,  culture,  ability, 
education  and  sound  pedagogical  training,  the  minimum  salary 
for  an  inexperienced  teacher  should  be  $600.00  per  year  with  an 
increase  of  $50  per  year  until  the  maximum  of  $800.00  be  reached. 
This  maximum  should  be  increased  to  $900.00  at  least,  for  the 
preceptress.  For  the  male  teachers,  the  minimum  for  an  inexpe- 
rienced teacher  should  be  $950.00  with  an  increase  of  $50.00  per 
year  until  $1100.00  be  reached  as  the  maximum.  For  the  junior 
high  school  department,  a  teacher  with  a  normal  school  training 
and  some  successful  experience  is  more  to  be  desired  than  a  col- 
lege trained  teacher  with  no  experience.  Great  care  must  be 
taken  in  this  department  that  very  strong  teachers  are  employed 
if  it  is  to  be  a  success.  The  salaries  are  set  by  the  economic  law 
of  supply  and  demand.  It  is  more  difficult  to  get  a  good  male 
teacher  than  it  is  to  get  a  good  female  teacher.  Hence,  to  get  the 
best,  this  difference  in  schedule  must  be  made,  though  theoreti- 
cally, there  should  be  no  such  difference.  There  should  be  at 
least  one  man  on  the  faculty  besides  the  principal,  and  to  do  jus- 
tice to  the  boys  of  these  departments,  there  should  be  three.  This 
problem  can  be  settled  only  by  the  financial  condition  of  the  dis- 
trict. 


CONCLUSIONS  99 

For  the  grades,  the  minimum  salary  for  an  inexperienced 
teacher  should  be  at  least  $500.00,  and  $550.00  if  possible.  The 
annual  increase  should  be  at  least  $25.00  per  year  and  better  yet 
$50.00.  For  the  first  grade  only  an  experienced  teacher  should 
be  employed.  In  order  to  get  one  of  ability,  the  minimum  should 
be  at  least  $600.00. 

An  efficient  system  of  supervision  of  the  school  should  be 
worked  out  by  the  principal  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.  This 
is  his  most  important  work,  and  nothing  should  stand  in  his  way 
in  performing  it. 

The  Board  of  Education  should  do  everything  in  its  power 
to  foster  a  deep  professional  spirit  on  the  part  of  the  faculty. 
No  stone  should  be  left  unturned  to  keep  it  from  getting  in  a 
rut.  There  must  be  freshness  and  vigor  and  growth  if  the  school 
is  to  progress.  It  might  even  be  wise  to  put  a  premium  upon 
these  characteristics. 

(See  pages  51-57  and  graph  number  6.) 


2.     Second  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  the  Library. 

The  school  needs  a  good  library  in  or  near  the  school  build- 
ing to  supplement  the  work  in  the  grades  and  particularly  that 
in  the  two  high  schools.  This  need  would  be  most  excellently 
met  by  a  Carnegie  Library  located  on  either  side  of  the  school 
building.  The  south  side  is  preferable  because  the  site  would  be 
free.  If  such  a  library  should  be  built,  it  would  serve  admirably 
both  the  school  and  the  community.  An  objection  might  be  raised 
that  the  site  is  not  central  enough  for  the  village  people.  To  this 
there  are  two  replies :  1.  The  library  would  be  as  central  as  are  the 
churches  on  the  square  and  the  school,  and  almost  as  central  as  the 
Opera  House.  2.  The  interests  of  the  students  who  ought  to  use 
the  library  every  day  school  is  in  session,  ought  not  to  be  sacri- 
ficed to  save  the  adults  but  a  few  rods  of  a  walk.  A  Carnegie 
Library  is  given  a  community  with  the  sole  condition  that  one 
tenth  of  its  cost  be  paid  anually  for  its  maintenance.  At  the  pres- 


100  A  STUDY 

ent  time  the  school  district  is  paying  $750.00  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  Library  on  Main  Street  which  serves  most  meagerly  the 
needs  of  the  school,  and  is  not  all  that  the  community  should  have. 
]ts  rooms  are  too  crowded.  The  sum  now  expended  would  entitle 
the  community  to  a  library  building  worth  $7,500.00.  If  the  com- 
munity should  wish  to  make  this  amount  $1,000.00  per  annum,  the 
building  presented  to  us  would  then  be  worth  $10,000.00.  Such 
a  building  would  meet  the  needs  of  both  the  village  people  and  the 
school  in  a  most  excellent  way.  There  seems  to  be  no  cheaper  way 
to  get  a  long  felt  need  satisfied  than  to  have  it  done  free.  The 
Board  of  Education  should  co-operate  with  the  Trustees  of  the 
Library  to  bring  this  solution  to  pass.  (See  pages  7,  15,  23.) 


j.     Third  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  the  Mental  Defective. 

There  ought  to  be  a  teacher  on  the  faculty  with  a  long  expe- 
rience with  children,  who  has  been  taught  to  give  the  tests  for 
mental  deficiency.  If  these  tests  should  reveal  any  large  number 
of  mental  defectives,  a  special  class  for  them  should  be  formed, 
much  as  is  done  in  the  larger  schools.  (See  pages  9,  11.) 


4.     Fourth  Conclusion   Which  Concerns  an  Agricultural 
Department. 

Dansville's  greatest  business  is  agriculture  and  horticulture. 
Her  school  ought  to  serve  that  interest  as  it  has  been  shown  she 
ought,  in  other  parts  of  this  Study.  This  Department  ought  to 
be  established  immediately.  The  expense  is  not  great.  Should 
such  a  department  be  established,  a  good  teacher  should  be  en- 
gaged who  has  spent  his  boyhood  and  young  manhood  on  a  farm 
or  a  nursery,  and  who  has  been  graduated  from  a  college  of  agri- 
culture. He  should  be  engaged  to  teach  agriculture  during  the 
time  school  is  in  session,  and  to  aid  the  students  during  the  sum- 
mer vacation  to  apply  what  they  have  learned.  Such  a  man  would 
demand  a  salary  of  $1,300.00  per  year.  Of  this  the  State  will  pay 


CONCLUSIONS  101 

$933.32.  It  will  pay  one-half  the  cost  of  the  apparatus  needed. 
For  every  non-resident  student  who  has  completed  his  require- 
ments for  entrance  in  the  senior  high  school  and  who  is  enrolled 
in  this  department,  it  will  pay  $20.00  per  year.  There  would  never 
be  less  than  five  such  students  enrolled.  This  would  mean  at  least 
another  hundred  dollars  from  the  State.  In  all,  the  State  would 
give,  the  district  approximately  $1,033.32  per  year,  leaving  but 
$262.68  for  the  district  to  pay.  There  are  in  school  today  at  least 
ten  village  boys  who  desire  to  take  this  work,  and  they  are  look- 
ing forward  to  the  time  when  it  will  be  given  them.  We  have 
the  room.  All  we  need  is  the  teacher  and  perhaps  a  hundred  fifty 
dollars'  worth  of  apparatus.  The  regular  course  includes  five- 
twelfths  of  the  work  in  agriculture  and  horticulture,  and  the 
remainder  in  history,  English,  mathematics  and  science.  This 
course  will  admit  the  boy  into  the  State  College  of  Agriculture 
if  he  desires  to  go  there.  The  work  in  agriculture  will  consist 
of  a  general  survey  in  the  junior  high  school  and  a  specialized 
study  in  the  senior  high  school.  This  will  contribute  much  to  the 
effort  to  bring  vocational  guidance  to  pass.  Surely  it  is  an  argu- 
ment for  this  department  that  a  large  number  of  our  nurserymen 
found  the  work  done  in  the  Cornell  Extension  School  and  in  the 
Farmers'  Days  to  be  of  much  value.  If  the  work  is  good  for 
the  adult  and  experienced  farmer  or  nurseryman,  it  is  good  for 
the  boy  who  wishes  to  follow  that  work.  The  cry  of  the  boy  for 
practical  work  must  be  heard.  A  college  preparatory  course  is  a 
good  thing  for  the  boy  who  isn't  going  to  college,  but  better  yet 
is  a  course  that  will  give  him  training  for  the  duties  of  life  and 
in  the  principles  of  his  vocation. 

(See  pages  14,  23,  51,  68,  76,  83,  84.) 

5.     Fifth  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  a  Home  Making 
Department. 

Closely  allied  to  the  agricultural  department  is  the  home  mak- 
ing department.     Every  normal  woman  expects  and  hopes  some 


102  A  STUDY 

day  to  be  a  home  maker.  This  business  has  become  very  scien- 
tific of  late.  The  scientists  have  learned  that  the  health  of  the 
individual  depends  very  largely  upon  what  he  eats  and  how  it 
is  prepared;  that  health  is  regained  by  correct  diet  and  correct 
living.  The  homes  of  the  girls  cannot  give  these  scientific  prin- 
ciples. Few  can  afford  to  go  away  to  school  to  get  it.  It,  there- 
fore, remains  for  the  school  to  teach  it.  The  teacher  of  this 
department  receives  one-third  of  her  salary  from  the  State.  The 
equipment  should  consist  of  a  kitchen,  a  dining  room,  a  bedroom 
and  a  toilet.  We  have  the  room  for  these.  The  equipment  will 
cost  approximately  $350.00,  of  which  the  State  will  pay  about 
half.  The  work  will  consist  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  san- 
itary housekeeping,  cooking,  sewing,  and  elementary  nursing. 
This  work  will  compose  five-twelfths  of  the  four  year  course,  and 
the  remainder  will  consist  of  English,  history,  mathematics  and 
science.  This  course  will  enter  the  girls  into  the  normal  school 
and,  with  certain  modifications,  into  many  colleges.  She  has  the 
gates  of  the  higher  institutions  open  for  her,  and  she  has  some- 
thing intensely  practical  besides. 

When  this  course  is  established,  it  will  be  possible  to  give  in 
the  junior  high  school  some  cooking  lessons  for  girls,  and  will 
in  that  way  enrich  the  curriculum  and  make  vocational  guidance 
possible.  This  course  should  be  established  in  the  near  future. 

(See  pages  14,  23,  51,  68,  83,  84,  96.) 


6.     Sixth  Suggestion  Which  Concerns  the  Curriculum. 

The  establishment  of  the  6-2-4  plan,  i.  e.,  six  years  of  grade 
work,  two  years  of  junior  high  school  work  and  four  years  of 
senior  high  school  work,  is  believed  to  be  a  very  wise  move.  The 
curriculum  of  the  junior  high  school  should  include  besides  the 
work  in  agriculture  and  home  making,  a  full  term  of  algebra,  a 
full  term  of  Latin  and  some  elementary  bookkeeping.  A  part  of 
the  drawing  should  be  mechanical  work,  in  history  definite 
instruction  in  current  events  should  be  included.  Of  course,  all 


CONCL  US  IONS  1 03 

these  subjects  would  not  be  studied  by  each  student.  The  pur- 
pose is  to  allow  the  student  to  try  the  work  which  he  thinks  he 
would  like  and  for  which  the  faculty  and  the  parents  think  he 
has  an  aptitude.  If  he  succeeds,  it  is  a  plain  indication  of  the 
course  he  should  follow  in  the  senior  high  school  whether  it  be 
college  preparatory,  agricultural,  commercial  or  home  making. 

There  are  some  students  who  have  a  decided  talent  for 
machinery  or  a  trade.  Arrangements  can  be  made  with  the 
State  Department  whereby  credit  may  be  granted  such  a  boy  for 
part-time  work  in  a  machine  shop  or  a  manufacturing  concern 
of  repute,  if  by  so  doing  he  is  learning  a  trade.  There  is  abun- 
dant opportunity  in  our  village  for  such  work  in  our  manufactur- 
ing concerns.  This  plan  would  mean  part-time  in  school  and  part- 
time  in  the  shop.  There  is  one  possible  barrier  to  the  successful 
inauguration  of  this  work  and  that  is  the  Workmen's  Compensa- 
tion Law. 

There  is  another  matter  which  should  receive  attention. 
Instrumental  music  is  as  much  a  part  of  a  child's  education  as  is 
Latin  or  any  other  subject.  If  some  plan  could  be  arranged  by 
the  instrumental  music  teachers  in  our  community  to  have  the 
practice  periods  supervised  in  such  a  way  that  a  statement  could 
be  made  authoritatively  as  to  the  exact  number  of  hours  spent  in 
practice,  a  unit  of  credit  would  be  granted  by  the  Education 
Department  at  Albany  for  each  two  hours  so  spent  each  week 
for  thirty-eight  weeks  in  the  year.  Some  plan  should  be  devised 
that  the  students  may  have  credit  for  this  work  and  that- they  may 
thereby  be  encouraged  to  pursue  the  work  in  instrumental  music. 

When  the  home  making  department  is  established,  some  sew- 
ing should  be  taught  the  girls  of  the  upper  grades.  The  boys 
should  have  some  manual  training  work  in  the  shop  of  the  agri- 
cultural department. 

In  all  the  work  of  the  school,  a  decided  effort  should  be 
made  to  put  emphasis  upon  the  daily  work,  and  less  stress  upon 
the  final  examinations.  This  will  pave  the  way  for  scholarship, 
and  tend  to  discourage  cramming. 

(See  pages  2,  13-14,  25-27,  84.) 


104  A  STUDY 

7.  Seventh  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  the  Moral  and  the 
Physical  Training  of  the  Students. 

The  moral  training  given  through  religious  instruction  must 
of  necessity  be  cared  for  by  the  churches.  That  is  not  the  problem 
of  the  school,  which  is  a  public  institution  supported  by  the  follow- 
ers of  all  creeds.  But  for  morning  exercises,  something  per- 
taining to  morals  ought  to  be  read.  Would  that  the  various 
denominations  through  their  representatives  might  select  from  the 
Sacred  Book  and  other  writings  on  morals  and  ethics,  passages 
pregnant  with  moral  teaching  accepted  by  all  creeds  that  might 
be  read  without  comment  to  the  children  at  the  opening  exercises ! 
Can  it  be  possible  that  the  Jewish  and  the  Christian  churches, 
believers  in  the  same  God,  cannot  find  in  their  teachings  great 
truths  concerning  man's  duty  to  man  and  to  himself  which  are 
so  freed  of  creed  and  doctrine  that  they  may  be  read  in  public 
without  damaging  one's  faith?  There  is  but  one  answer  to  the 
question.  It  can  be  done,  and  the  churches  will  make  a  vast 
stride  in  advance  when  they  do  it. 

But  the  school  is  accountable  for  an  ethical  and  a  moral 
training  through  other  channels.  The  indirect  method  is  being 
used  in  the  schools,  and  with  a  studied  effort,  it  may  be  made  of 
greater  value  in  our  school.  The  method,  strongly  advocated 
these  days  through  supervised  play,  is  worthy  of  careful  con- 
sideration. 

The  physical  side  of  the  child's  development  is  another 
problem  that  must  receive  most  careful  consideration.  Children 
left  to  themselves  in  the  gymnasium  and  on  the  play  ground  often 
do  things  very  detrimental  to  health.  There  ought  to  be  a  man 
on  the  faculty  who  can  supervise  the  play  of  the  boys,  and  a 
woman  who  can  direct  the  play  of  the  girls.  If  the  school  con- 
tinues to  grow  as  it  has  during  the  last  three  years — and  there 
is  every  indication  that  it  will — an  addition  to  the  faculty  must  be 
made.  When  this  time  comes,  a  man  of  the  right  sort  should 
be  selected  to  teach  half  of  his  time,  and  to  spend  the  remainder 


CONCL  US  IONS  1 05 

in  supervising  the  athletics  and  play  of  the  boys.  His  class- 
room work  would  make  it  possible  to  lighten  the  work  of  a 
capable  woman  who  could  then  work  with  the  girls.  In  this  way, 
the  double  end  of  moral  and  physical  training  might  be  realized. 
This  would  also  make  it  possible  to  have  the  man  and  the  woman 
conduct  in  connection  with  the  night  school,  classes  in  gymnastics 
and  recreational  work.  This  matter  should  receive  the  most  care- 
ful thought  of  the  Board  of  Education  and  of  the  community. 

There  is  one  way  in  which  the  gymnasium  is  not  complete. 
The  apartment  set  aside  for  a  dressing  room  should  be  fitted  with 
toilets  and  shower  baths.  To  do  this,  it  will  be  necessary  to  make 
connection  with  the  sewer  on  Washington  Street,  and  when  one 
considers  that  the  lack  of  the  toilets  and  the  baths  make  the  gym- 
nasium impractical  for  evening  work,  and  even  for  athletics,  one 
will  realize  the  necessity  of  their  installation. 

The  question  of  a  suitable  playground  for  the  children  and 
the  young  people  of  the  village  is  not  a  small  one.  Whether  the 
village  or  the  Board  of  Education  should  furnish  this  is  imma- 
terial. But  this  is  certain.  The  lack  of  a  suitable  place  for  out- 
door sports  has  killed  athletics  in  the  high  school.  During  the 
spring  and  early  autumn  months  the  boys,  at  times,  try  to  play 
baseball  behind  the  school.  At  those  times  there  begins  a  crop 
of  just  complaints  from  the  neighbors.  A  boy  of  any  vigor 
at  all  is  bound  to  bat  the  ball  beyond  the  confines  of  the  school 
yard  into  somebody's  garden,  nursery,  or  through  a  window  of  the 
school  house.  During  the  past  year  about  $20.00  was  spent  for 
new  window  lights.  There  are  but  three  remedies.  The  first  is 
to  surround  the  yard  with  a  twenty-foot  screen  fence  and  to 
screen  the  windows  of  the  school  house.  The  second  is  to  prohibit 
the  use  of  the  play  ground  for  play  purposes.  The  third  is  to 
provide  a  suitable  play  ground.  The  first  is  impracticable;  the 
second  is  inhuman;  the  third  is  the  only  solution.  This  question 
does  not  concern  the  students  of  the  union  school  alone.  The 
parochial  pupils  and  the  young  men  of  the  factories  in  the  village 
need  a  place  to  play.  During  the  summer  evenings  they  have 


106  A  STUDY 

played  on  the  school  grounds,  but  much  to  the  displeasure  of  the 
neighbors  who  have  gardens.  The  sooner  the  village  realizes  its 
duty  in  this  respect,  the  better  it  will  be  for  the  young  people.  It 
would  be  an  act  of  wisdom  to  give  them  a  place  to  work  off  their 
excess  energy,  rather  than  to  leave  them  to  work  it  off  on  the 
streets. 

(See  pages  59-62,  68). 

8.     Eighth  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  Medical  Inspection. 

This  question  is  one  that  will  be  solved  by  the  State  Educa- 
tion Department.  Compulsory  medical  inspection  is  now  a  stat- 
ute, and  in  the  very  near  future  an  officer  will  be  appointed  by 
the  Education  Department  to  organize  this  work  for  the  whole 
State.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  school  district  to  attack  this  prob- 
lem cheerfully  and  sympathetically  this  coming  year,  with  a  strong 
follow-up  plan  to  have  the  parents  of  ailing  children  see  the  neces- 
sity of  caring  for  them  immediately.  (See  page  62  ). 
4 

p.     Ninth  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  the  Parents. 

Frequent  parents'  meetings  should  be  held  during  the  year  to 
keep  the  parents  informed  of  the  work  of  the  school,  the  work 
of  the  children,  to  cause  them  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
teachers,  and  to  give  them  an  opportunity  to  talk  with  the  teach- 
ers about  the  progress  and  the  deportment  of  the  children.  It 
might  be  well  to  close  school  some  morning  and  have  in  its  place 
an  evening  session,  that  the  fathers  and  the  mothers  might  see 
their  children  actually  at  work.  Such  meetings  would  create  in 
the  parents  a  keen  interest  in  the  school,  which  would  mean  that 
more  children  would  be  kept  in  school  than  heretofore.  There 
would  be  a  greater  sympathy  for  the  school,  its  work  and  its  fac- 
ulty. There  should  be  formed  a  mothers'  club  of  the  mothers  who 
have  children  in  the  lower  grades.  This  is  a  matter  demanding 
immediate  attention. 

(See  pages  57-59). 


CONCLUSIONS  107 

10.  Tenth  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  the  Wider  Use  of 
the  School  Plant. 

The  school  has  done  well  in  bringing  to  pass  the  many  lec- 
tures and  meetings  of  interest  to  the  adults  in  and  about  our 
village.  It  has  done  well  to  establish  a  night  school.  This  work 
should  continue.  The  school  should  be  made  to  serve  the  adults 
as  well  as  the  children.  In  the  future,  the  night  school  should  be 
made  broader  in  scope.  Specialists  might  be  brought  in  to  give  ad- 
dresses before  the  nurserymen  and  the  farmers,  and  to  give 
courses  in  home  making  and  home  economies  for  the  women. 
Our  lawyers  might  be  interested  to  give  short  talks  about  prac- 
tical points  in  law  for  the  business  man.  Physicians  might,  in  a 
series  of  lectures,  tell  how  to  conserve  the  health  that  one  may  be 
the  most  efficient  citizen  possible.  Some  of  the  young  engineers 
might  give  courses  in  mechanical  drawing  for  the  young  fellows 
who  had  thoughtlessly  dropped  out  of  school,  but  who.  seeing 
the  error  in  the  move,  and  wishing  to  correct  it  as  far  as  possible, 
might  work  up  to  a  better  position.  There  might  be  work  in  tne 
gymnasium  for  those  who  feel  the  need  of  exercise  and  recreation 
after  a  day  in  the  office  or  the  shop  or  the  store.  All  this  could 
be  done  without  expense  to  the  district,  by  charging  a  tuition 
sufficient  to  pay  for  the  services  of  those  engaged  to  do  the  work. 
The  district's  contribution  would  be  a  lighted  and  heated  school 
house.  This  phase  of  the  school's  service  to  the  community  must 
never  be  lost  sight  of. 

(See  pages  66-68). 

11.  The  Eleventh  Conclusion  Which  Concerns  the  Finances. 

There  are  but  two  phases  of  this  problem  for  thought.  In 
Dansville  there  is  an  unjust  distribution  of  the  burden  of  giving 
to  the  village  and  the  surrounding  community  the  advantages  of 
a  modern  high  school.  There  is  but  one  solution  and  that  is  to 
enlarge  the  district. 

The  question  of  a  few  dollars  should  never  stand  in  the  way 


108  A  STUDY 

of  the  training  of  our  future  citizens.  No  money  is  better  ex- 
pended, or  more  patriotically  expended,  than  that  which  will  guar- 
antee democracy  to  this  land  of  ours  in  the  growing  complexity 
of  its  problems.  Life  is  becoming  more  complex  every  day,  and 
with  that  complexity  is  a  demand  for  the  higher  training  of  men 
and  women  who  must  fight  the  battles  of  life. 
(See  pages  68-77). 


109 


APPENDIX 

The  Graphs  and  How  to  Read  Them 

In  this  Study  there  are  three  kinds  of  graphs ;  one  represented  by 
bars,  six  by  lines  and  one  by  circles. 

Graph  number  one  is  represented  by  bars.  Each  bar  is  drawn  to 
scale  and  represents  by  its  length  the  number  in  a  graduating  class. 

Graphs  two,  three,  four,  five,  six  and  seven  represent  by  lines, 
commonly  called  curves,  the  t'lunctuations  by  years  of  their  respective 
subjects.  Across  the  top  of  each  of  these  are  either  months  or  years, 
and  up  the  left  side  is  a  scale  of  numbers.  To  show  how  to  interpret 
one  of  these,  graph  number  two  on  page  number  39  may  be  taken  as 
an  illustration.  There  are  six  curves  representing  six  different  sets 
of  facts.  At  the  top  is  the  curve  representing  the  total  registration  in 
school  for  the  last  ten  years.  For  the  year  1904-1905,  there  were  506 
pupils  in  school.  This  amount  is  represented  by  a  point  on  the  1904- 
1905  year  (the  vertical  line  at  whose  top  is  1904-1905)  line  between  the 
500  and  the  530  lines  which  cross  the  graph  horizontally.  Since  the 
difference  between  these  two  lines  is  thirty  and  the  point  to  be  deter- 
mined is  8  above  the  500  line,  it  is  determined  by  taking  eight  thirti- 
eths of  the  space  between  these  lines.  The  next  year  there  were  482 
pupils  in  school.  This  point  lies  on  the  1905-1906  year  line  and  between 
the  470  and  the  500  lines.  For  each  of  the  other  years  the  points  are 
determined.  Then  these  points  are  connected  by  lines  which  will  give 
the  eye  a  means  of  judging  the  amount  of  variation  there  is.  over  in 
the  period  of  ten  years.  The  other  curves  represent  the  registration 
in  the  grades  and  the  distribution  of  boys  and  the  girls  in  whole  school 
and  in  the  grades.  A  study  of  these  curves  will  show  the  proportion- 
ate variation. 

Graph  number  eight  shows  by  the  size  of  the  circles  the  variation 
in  the  expenditures  for  the  four  years  they  represent.  The  angles 
show  how  the  items  vary  each  year. 


30m-l,' 


YC  03254 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


